TMC Crisis: 19 Rebel MPs Including Saayoni Ghosh, Yusuf Pathan Join NCPI

TMC Crisis: 19 Rebel MPs Including Saayoni Ghosh, Yusuf Pathan Join NCPI | Quick Digest
A major political crisis engulfed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in June 2026 as 19 Lok Sabha MPs, including prominent figures Saayoni Ghosh and Yusuf Pathan, rebelled against the party leadership. They submitted a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, seeking recognition as a separate parliamentary faction after merging with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), triggering a legal battle over the anti-defection law.

Key Highlights

  • 19 TMC Lok Sabha MPs rebelled against party leadership post 2026 assembly election loss.
  • Saayoni Ghosh and Yusuf Pathan were among the prominent rebel MPs.
  • Rebels sought a separate parliamentary faction and merged with NCPI.
  • Letter dated May 18, 2026, was submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker.
  • The move aimed to bypass anti-defection law, claiming two-thirds majority.
  • TMC filed disqualification petitions, threatening Supreme Court action.
A significant political upheaval struck the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in June 2026, following the party's defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections. A group of 19 Lok Sabha Members of Parliament (MPs), including well-known personalities such as actress-turned-politician Saayoni Ghosh and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan, publicly rebelled against the leadership of Mamata Banerjee. These rebel MPs submitted a letter, dated May 18, 2026, to the Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla, indicating their intention to form a separate parliamentary faction. India Today, along with other prominent news outlets like NDTV and The Times of India, accessed copies of this crucial letter, which confirmed the defection of these lawmakers. The signatories, reportedly 19 out of the 28 TMC Lok Sabha MPs, asserted that they represented the 'real' Trinamool Congress and were staking claim to the party's symbol. The rebellion escalated dramatically with the announcement that these 19 MPs had decided to merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a relatively obscure regional party. This strategic move was widely seen as an attempt to circumvent the stringent provisions of India's anti-defection law, enshrined in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. Under this law, a split or defection of less than two-thirds of a legislative party's members can lead to their disqualification. However, if two-thirds or more members of a legislative party agree to merge with another political party, they can avoid disqualification. With 19 MPs out of 28, the rebel faction met the two-thirds threshold, theoretically offering them protection under the merger clause. Among the list of rebel MPs, Saayoni Ghosh, who won the Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 General Elections on a TMC ticket, and Yusuf Pathan, who famously defeated Congress veteran Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in Baharampur in the same elections, were prominent figures. Their involvement underscored the depth and reach of the dissent within the party, as both were considered rising stars or significant electoral assets for the TMC. The Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, vehemently opposed this move. The party argued that the anti-defection law requires a merger of the original political party, not just the legislative wing, for it to be valid. TMC's national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on multiple occasions, including in June and August 2026, to press for the disqualification of these 19 (or 20, as some reports indicated an additional MP joining) rebel MPs. The TMC had filed 20 separate disqualification petitions by June 19, 2026. Abhishek Banerjee also publicly stated that if the Speaker failed to make a decision within the stipulated legal and judicial timeframes, the party would be compelled to approach the Supreme Court for intervention. This rebellion marked one of the most severe internal crises for the Trinamool Congress in recent times, particularly coming after a significant electoral setback in the state assembly elections. The rebel faction's expressed willingness to work with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) further complicated the political landscape, potentially weakening the opposition INDIA bloc in Parliament. The situation highlighted ongoing constitutional and legal debates surrounding the interpretation and application of the anti-defection law, with the Speaker's decision and potential judicial review being critical to the future of these MPs and the TMC's parliamentary strength. As of August 2026, the disqualification petitions were still pending, and the political and legal battle was ongoing. Other notable rebel MPs included Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Deepak Adhikari, June Maliah, and Prasun Banerjee, among others, indicating a broad cross-section of leaders from different backgrounds and tenures within the party. The situation also saw the resignation of some Rajya Sabha MPs, like Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, and Prakash Chik Baraik, who subsequently joined the BJP, further highlighting the internal strife within the TMC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the key figures involved in the TMC rebellion?

The prominent figures among the 19 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) Members of Parliament (MPs) include actress-politician Saayoni Ghosh and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan.

What prompted the rebellion of TMC MPs?

The rebellion of the TMC MPs occurred in June 2026 following the party's defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections. This internal dissent led to a significant group of MPs challenging the party's leadership.

How did the rebel TMC MPs attempt to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law?

The rebel MPs attempted to bypass the anti-defection law by merging with a smaller political entity, the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). They aimed to utilize the provision in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution which allows a group comprising two-thirds or more of a legislative party to merge with another party without incurring disqualification.

What was the TMC's response to the rebellion?

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongly contested the legitimacy of the merger and filed disqualification petitions against the rebel MPs with the Lok Sabha Speaker. TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee also indicated the party's readiness to approach the Supreme Court if the Speaker did not make a timely decision on the petitions.

What is the current status of the rebel MPs and the disqualification proceedings?

As of August 2026, the disqualification petitions filed by the Trinamool Congress against the 19 (or 20) rebel MPs for defecting and merging with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) were still pending before the Lok Sabha Speaker. The legal and political battle over their status remains ongoing.

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