Twenty Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a little-known regional outfit, to bypass the anti-defection law. They met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking separate seating, while TMC leadership urged him not to recognize the faction. The move escalates the political crisis within TMC following its electoral defeat.
West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh stated that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will decide on the recognition of rebel TMC MPs as a separate group after reviewing their submissions. Ghosh also commented on Abhishek Banerjee's questioning by CID, noting his repeated appearances before agencies.
Twenty rebel Trinamool Congress MPs have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and will support the BJP-led NDA. This move makes the previously obscure NCPI the fifth-largest party in Lok Sabha and the second-largest bloc in the NDA, bolstering its numbers.
Twenty rebel Trinamool Congress MPs have merged with the Nationalist Citizens' Party of India (NCPI), a Tripura-based party with a Howrah address, and informed Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla of their decision. They seek a separate seating block alongside NDA members, citing that two-thirds of TMC's Lok Sabha contingent backed the move.
Abhishek Banerjee urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to recognize the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) as a single party, rejecting any separate factions. Rebel MPs met the Speaker seeking recognition, but Banerjee's letter, citing constitutional provisions and Supreme Court judgments, argued against forming separate groups within a party.
Twenty rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha MPs announced their intention to merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party and support the ruling NDA. The MPs met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, stating they represent over two-thirds of the TMC's strength and will seek legal clarity on the party's name.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to deny recognition to any separate faction of the party, stating the TMC is a single, indivisible political entity. This comes amid claims by rebel MPs of forming a dissident bloc.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, requesting that no separate group or faction of the party be recognized. This comes amid reports of TMC MPs seeking to be recognized as a separate group, independent of the legislative party.
Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claims two more MPs will join the dissident group, bringing its Lok Sabha strength to 22. This number would allow them to avoid anti-defection laws. The MPs plan to meet the Speaker to seek recognition as a separate bloc.
Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claims two more MPs will join the dissident group, bringing its Lok Sabha strength to 22. This number could allow them to avoid anti-defection laws. The MPs plan to meet the Speaker to seek recognition as a separate bloc.
TMC MP Saayoni Ghosh arrived in New Delhi amid speculation of joining rebel MPs. Another MP, Mala Roy, also arrived. This follows MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay's meeting with a Union Minister, which sparked internal party criticism. The dissenters claim majority support among TMC MPs and MLAs.
Rahul Gandhi asserted that the INDIA bloc has effectively "already won" the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and stressed the need for opposition unity to counter the BJP. He stated that the opposition would continue to organize people and challenge the BJP's "takeover of institutions."
The BJP-led NDA is reportedly seeking support from opposition MPs to strengthen its numbers in the Lok Sabha. Sources suggest that the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) faction might see some of its nine Lok Sabha MPs defect, potentially merging with Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena to avoid disqualification under anti-defection laws.
Rebel TMC MPs plan to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to seek recognition as the "real TMC" parliamentary group, with dissident MP Jagadish Chandra Basunia claiming 19 MPs have signed a representation. This move has drawn strong reactions from the Mamata Banerjee faction, with Abhishek Banerjee accusing the BJP of trying to create rifts. Meanwhile, rebel MLAs in the Bengal assembly also claim to have gained support.
A working paper by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister suggests increasing India's Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 824 by splitting large constituencies, aiming to raise voter turnout by 0.3-2.3 percentage points.
Posters criticizing Rahul Gandhi surfaced in New Delhi before the INDIA bloc meeting, highlighting past criticisms by allies like Sharad Pawar and Mamata Banerjee, amid visible strains in the opposition alliance.
Karnataka minister R Ramalinga Reddy quits, citing humiliation, as TMC faces post-split turmoil with rebel MLAs developing cold feet
TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee will inform Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla about a mob attack during his visit to families affected by post-poll violence in West Bengal. Banerjee sustained injuries and accused the BJP of orchestrating the assault, calling it an attempt on his life. Five individuals have been arrested.
Rampur court sentences Azam Khan to 2 years imprisonment and a Rs 5,000 fine for derogatory remarks against officials during 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign. Conviction based on eyewitnesses and video evidence.
Suvendu Adhikari comes from one of the state’s most influential political families. His father, Sisir Adhikari, served both in the West Bengal Assembly and the Lok Sabha, while his brother Dibyendu Adhikari was earlier a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP before joining the BJP in 2024. Suvendu began his political journey with the Congress during the 1995 municipal polls before moving to the newly formed TMC alongside his father in 1998. He rose rapidly within Mamata Banerjee’s party and became one of its strongest organisational faces in coastal Bengal.
DMK MP Kanimozhi has requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to change parliamentary seating arrangements, moving DMK MPs away from Congress. This follows the end of their two-decade alliance in Tamil Nadu after the recent poll results. The DMK accused Congress of betrayal for supporting another party to form the government, warning of widespread electoral consequences.
Rahul Gandhi has accused the BJP of winning seats through vote theft, claiming every sixth MP from the party secured victory unfairly. He alleged that institutions are manipulated to tamper with the electoral process, suggesting the BJP fears fair elections.
