By Tanmay 
Senior leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay meets Amit Shah in Delhi as 20 rebel TMC Lok Sabha MPs prepare to split the party and form a separate group.
NEW DELHI — In a development that has sent shockwaves through West Bengal’s political landscape, veteran politician Sudip Bandyopadhyay meets Amit Shah in New Delhi, anchoring a massive rebellion within the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The high-stakes meeting between the Kolkata North MP and the Union Home Minister comes on the heels of an unprecedented internal crisis plaguing West Bengal’s ruling party following its devastating performance in the state assembly elections.
Accompanied by fellow dissident parliamentarian Satabdi Roy, the senior leader’s multi-layered diplomatic maneuvers in the national capital have confirmed that a formal split within the TMC’s parliamentary unit is imminent.
Inside the Delhi Durbar: Sudip Bandyopadhyay Meets Amit Shah
The sequence of events in New Delhi indicates a meticulously planned political shift. Before the headline-grabbing rendezvous where Sudip Bandyopadhyay meets Amit Shah, the rebel TMC leaders spent over an hour at the Motilal Nehru Marg residence of Union Minister Bhupender Yadav. The closed-door discussion, which reportedly included inputs from senior BJP strategist Suvendu Adhikari, laid the groundwork for a broader alignment.
Sources indicate that Bandyopadhyay had repeatedly sought an audience with the Home Minister over the last few days. While previous batches of rebel TMC MPs had limited their contact to central ministers and state coordinators, the veteran politician strategically forced a direct meeting with the top leadership of the central government.
Political analysts are reading deeply into this development. By ensuring that Sudip Bandyopadhyay meets Amit Shah, the dissident camp has elevated its localized internal rebellion into a mainstream national discussion, signaling strong backing from the highest echelons of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
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Counting the Faction: A New Parliamentary Faction Emerges
The rebellion within the TMC parliamentary party has rapidly escalated into a game of numbers. According to rebel insider Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, 19 Lok Sabha members out of the party’s total strength of 28 had already appended their signatures to a breakaway manifesto. With Bandyopadhyay explicitly joining the ranks, the rebel numbers have officially touched 20—comfortably clearing the two-thirds threshold required under the anti-defection law to avoid disqualification.
The breakaway faction has reportedly consolidated behind a clear agenda. Led by figures like Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, the group intends to approach Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday to formally request recognition as a separate legislative block, operating under the claim of being the “real TMC.” Once recognized, the dissident block is heavily favored to extend external structural support to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Leadership Shift Sparks Internal Civil War
The sudden alignment of Bandyopadhyay with the rebels marks a remarkable fall from grace within the inner circles of the regional party. For years, the Kolkata North MP served as the official leader of the Trinamool parliamentary party in the Lok Sabha. However, party supremo Mamata Banerjee officially transferred the floor leadership duties to her nephew, National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
This institutional sideline is believed to have driven the veteran leader toward the disgruntled camp. Now, the dissident block will likely name Bandyopadhyay as their parliamentary leader once they establish their independent status in the Lower House.
The backlash from the loyalist faction in Kolkata has been swift and brutal. Senior party spokespersons Kunal Ghosh and Kalyan Banerjee have publicly launched sharp salvos against the veteran parliamentarian. Kunal Ghosh accused him of structural opportunism, asserting that the leader has historically shifted camps whenever his personal influence was challenged.
In a lightning-fast retaliatory move, Mamata Banerjee held an emergency meeting at her Kalighat residence, immediately stripping Bandyopadhyay of his post as the organizational president of the North Kolkata district and replacing him with party loyalist Kunal Ghosh.
As the dissident MPs gather for a crucial strategy session tonight, all eyes remain fixed on how the Lok Sabha Speaker will treat the impending petition on Monday, completely reshaping the balance of power in West Bengal politics.
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