TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay joins rebel faction, meets BJP's Bhupender Yadav
Synopsis
Veteran TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay — whose signature was conspicuously absent from a rebel document just a day earlier — arrived in Delhi on 13 June and drove straight from the airport to BJP Minister Bhupender Yadav's residence alongside rebel MP Satabdi Roy. His move signals that the TMC's parliamentary rebellion has now drawn in one of its most senior figures, dramatically raising the stakes for Mamata Banerjee.
Key Takeaways
Sudip Bandyopadhyay , TMC MP from Kolkata Uttar , joined the rebel faction on 13 June , attending a meeting at BJP Minister Bhupender Yadav's residence in Delhi .
He travelled from Delhi airport in the same car as rebel MP Satabdi Roy of Birbhum .
A document signed by 19 TMC MPs surfaced on 12 June ; Bandyopadhyay's signature was not on it.
The rebel bloc, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Satabdi Roy , claims the support of approximately 20 MPs and has expressed intent to join the BJP-led NDA .
The Lok Sabha split became public on 1 June , the same day Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee were attending an Opposition INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi.
Sudip Bandyopadhyay, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP from Kolkata Uttar, has joined the rebel faction within the party's Parliamentary Group, deepening a crisis that has been building since the West Bengal Assembly election results. On Saturday, 13 June, Bandyopadhyay was seen travelling from Delhi airport in the same car as rebel TMC MP Satabdi Roy, proceeding directly to the residence of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Minister Bhupender Yadav for a meeting already in progress.
What Happened on Saturday
Bandyopadhyay departed Kolkata on Saturday morning on the same flight as Satabdi Roy, the MP from Birbhum. Upon landing in Delhi, the two boarded a shared vehicle and headed straight to Bhupender Yadav's official residence, where a meeting of rebel TMC MPs was already under way. His presence there is being read as a significant expansion of the rebellion, given his stature as one of the party's most senior figures.
The Rebel Faction and Its Leadership
The dissident bloc within TMC is led by MPs Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Satabdi Roy. Multiple rounds of meetings have been held at Bhupender Yadav's residence over the past several days. On 1 June, the split became publicly visible in the Lok Sabha, with the majority of TMC's parliamentary contingent reportedly moving against party supremo Mamata Banerjee's authority. On that same day, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claimed the rebel group had the backing of approximately 20 TMC MPs and intended to align with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.
The Signed Document and Bandyopadhyay's Position
A document bearing the signatures of 19 TMC MPs surfaced on Friday, 12 June, reportedly formalising the rebellion. Notably, Bandyopadhyay's signature was absent from that document. His visit to Bhupender Yadav's residence on Saturday, however, signals that he may now be aligning with the dissident camp — even without having signed the earlier letter.
Background: TMC's Post-Election Turmoil
Internal fissures within the TMC surfaced sharply after the West Bengal Assembly election results, with the party also losing effective control of its Parliamentary Party in the state legislature. The timing of the 1 June Lok Sabha split was particularly striking: Mamata Banerjee and TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee were in Delhi that day attending a meeting of the Opposition INDIA bloc, even as the rebellion was crystallising within their own ranks. This is the latest in a series of defections and realignments that have rattled the TMC since its electoral setback in West Bengal.
What Comes Next
With a veteran like Sudip Bandyopadhyay now apparently gravitating toward the rebel camp, pressure on Mamata Banerjee to consolidate her parliamentary base is mounting. Whether the dissident MPs formally join the NDA or seek a separate arrangement remains to be seen, but the pace of meetings at Bhupender Yadav's residence suggests decisions could come soon.
Point of View
But because of symbolism. A party's senior-most parliamentary face gravitating toward the BJP signals that this is no longer a fringe mutiny. What is striking is the timing: the rebellion surfaced publicly while Mamata Banerjee was in Delhi projecting Opposition unity, suggesting either a failure of political intelligence or a deliberate show of force by dissenters. The absence of Bandyopadhyay's signature on the 19-MP document one day before his airport rendezvous with Satabdi Roy also raises questions about whether he is hedging or simply moving more carefully than others. Either way, the TMC's parliamentary arithmetic is now genuinely in play.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Sudip Bandyopadhyay's meeting with Bhupender Yadav significant?
Bandyopadhyay is one of the most senior TMC MPs, and his visit to BJP Minister Bhupender Yadav's residence alongside rebel MP Satabdi Roy on 13 June signals that the intra-party rebellion has now drawn in a veteran figure beyond the initial dissident group. His presence widens the scope of the crisis for party chief Mamata Banerjee.
Who is leading the rebel TMC faction?
The rebel group within the TMC's Lok Sabha contingent is led by MPs Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Satabdi Roy. On 1 June, Ghosh Dastidar claimed the faction had the support of around 20 MPs and intended to align with the BJP-led NDA government.
What is the document signed by 19 TMC MPs?
A document bearing the signatures of 19 TMC MPs surfaced on 12 June, reportedly formalising the rebellion within the party's parliamentary group. Sudip Bandyopadhyay's name was not among the signatories, though he visited Bhupender Yadav's residence the following day.
When did the TMC's Lok Sabha split become public?
The split in TMC's Lok Sabha Parliamentary Party became publicly visible on 1 June, coinciding with the day Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee were in Delhi for an Opposition INDIA bloc meeting.
What triggered the rebellion within the Trinamool Congress?
Internal conflicts within the TMC escalated after the West Bengal Assembly election results, with the party losing control of its Parliamentary Party in the state legislature. The discontent among Lok Sabha MPs subsequently crystallised into an organised rebel faction seeking alignment with the BJP-led NDA.
