Trinamool factions split after the merger with the NCPI

West Bengal MLA Ritabrata Banerjee says no decision has been taken to join the NCPI. File | Photo credit: ANI

Indicating further fragmentation in the Trinamool Congress, the party’s rebel factions — one in the Lok Sabha and the other in the West Bengal Assembly — spoke with different voices. While Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Ritabrata Banerjee, who claims the support of 65 MLAs, said the legislature party has “no idea” about merging with the Nationalist Civic Party of India (NCPI), their colleagues in the Lok Sabha have already announced such a move.

Also read | 20 rebel Trinamool Lok Sabha MPs are seeking a tie-up with the nationalist Civic Party of India

On Sunday (June 14, 2026) night, 20 MPs elected on the Trinamool symbol informed the Speaker of the Lok Sabha that they had merged with the NCPI, a registered regional political party. Later, speaking to reporters, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who heads the faction, said the group “will cooperate” with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Mr. Banerjee, meanwhile, struck a different note and insisted that he would play the role of the opposition. Mr Banerjee told The Hindu on Monday (June 15, 2026), “We are the main opposition party in the West Bengal Assembly.” On whether the rebel MLAs will join hands with the NCPI, he said no such decision has been taken.

Mr. Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata later in the day that he came to know about the decision of 20 MPs to merge with the NCPI through the media. “It’s their decision; their team made that decision. As for our team, we have no idea about that,” he said. He added that even though all 65 MLAs were not present in Kolkata, many met and consulted. “As far as the Legislature Party is concerned, we don’t know anything like that. So the question does not arise,” he said.

Mr. Banerjee’s stand is key to the decision of 20 MPs to merge with NCPI. The merger requires the support of two-thirds of his legislature party in Parliament as well as state assemblies. With Mr. Banerjee’s bloc rejecting any such move, it will be difficult for the Kakoli faction to stake its claim on the party and the symbol.

Meanwhile, the Trinamool faction aligned with party founder Mamata Banerjee has remained silent on any action against the 20 MPs. On Sunday (June 14, 2026), Trinamool MPs Sagarika Ghose and Kirti Azad sent a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla before 20 rebel leaders met him. The letter urged the Speaker not to recognize or grant separate status to any rebel Trinamool faction in the Lok Sabha.

In a letter from the party’s general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, he said that Trinamool is a “single, indivisible political party”. It stated that the legislature cannot be separated from the parent organization and that no separate group based on signatures can claim recognition.

Published – 15 Jun 2026 23:10 IST