TMC Defections Spark Political Crisis as Rebels Align with NDA

Twenty rebel Trinamool Congress MPs have defected to the newly formed Nationalist Citizens Party of India, signaling a formal alliance with the National Democratic Alliance. The move, confirmed by MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, has triggered a wave of political instability, further compounded by the simultaneous resignation of three Rajya Sabha members.

Editorial·June 15, 2026·reads: 1,047

TMC Defections Spark Political Crisis as Rebels Align with NDA

Congress leader Shama Mohamed sharply questioned the legitimacy of the breakaway group, dismissing the NCPI as an obscure entity until this sudden emergence. She challenged the defecting lawmakers to resign their current seats and face the electorate in West Bengal under their new banner, arguing that their current maneuver undermines democratic integrity.

The party apparatus in West Bengal faces a mounting internal revolt, with 58 MLAs joining the ranks of those distancing themselves from the TMC leadership. Beyond the domestic fallout, Mohamed criticized the administration’s handling of recent maritime casualties involving Indian sailors, specifically noting the absence of this issue during high-level diplomatic discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump.