TMC Fractures as Rebel Faction Aligns with NDA

Twenty Lok Sabha members have broken from the Trinamool Congress to join the Nationalist Citizens Party of India, signaling a formal alliance with the NDA. This mass defection, underscored by a request for recognition from Speaker Om Birla, transforms internal party dissent into a significant shift in parliamentary arithmetic.

Editorial·June 15, 2026·reads: 609

TMC Fractures as Rebel Faction Aligns with NDA

The scale of the rebellion extends deep into the state assembly, where 58 TMC MLAs have openly defied party leadership. Led by the expelled Ritabrata Banerjee, this faction has found further momentum through a wave of high-profile departures from the Rajya Sabha, including Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev, and Prakash Baraik. These figures are now positioning themselves as a unified bloc against the state government's directives.

BJP MP Soumitra Khan confirmed that his party remains receptive to the NCPI’s overtures, stating that all regional coordination will follow the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and Nitin Nabin. By aligning with the NDA, the defectors aim to reframe their regional grievances as a broader national mandate, effectively challenging the TMC’s grip on its own ranks.