New Delhi, June 7 — Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders on Sunday warned that any attempt by their Members of Parliament to split and form a separate faction would face major legal and procedural obstacles under India’s anti-defection law, amid reports that a group of TMC MPs is trying to mobilise support for a possible breakaway from the party’s parliamentary wing.
Sources said rebel leaders were reaching out to MPs in both Houses and that a breakaway group could seek formal recognition if it secured the backing of the required number of parliamentarians. A senior TMC leader noted the party has 28 members in the Lok Sabha and said any move under the anti-defection law would require the support of at least two-thirds of the parliamentary party — 19 MPs.
Another party functionary argued, however, that even reaching that threshold would not allow a rebel group to function as an independent parliamentary unit. “As per the law, even if two-thirds of MPs wish to leave a party, the only choice they have is to merge with another political party. There is no provision for a separate group,” the leader said.
There is also speculation that dissident MPs could try to change the party’s parliamentary leadership by approaching the Speaker. A TMC source countered that the Speaker is not the ultimate decision-maker in such matters: “The leader of a parliamentary party is appointed by the party and any change can only be made by the party chairperson,” the source said.
Party insiders dismissed some of the reports as diversionary, suggesting they were aimed at shifting attention away from an INDIA bloc meeting scheduled for Monday. Another TMC leader said various scenarios were being discussed in political circles but added that there was still time before the next Parliament sitting — the Monsoon Session — for matters to play out.
The tensions come after a fresh round of trouble for the TMC following last month’s election setback and a rebellion in its legislature wing. Last week, more than two-thirds of the party’s MLAs — 58 of its 80 legislators — broke away from the official TMC legislature party and secured recognition as the principal opposition bloc in the Assembly under expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee.
Sources said party leaders were working to prevent a similar split in Parliament and were monitoring developments closely. (PTI)
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/06/08/tmc-weighs-reports-of-mp-unrest/
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Publish Date: 2026-06-08 05:02:00
