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Is mystery over 20th rebel MP over? Another TMC MP reaches BJP leader's residence with Satabdi Roy

The meeting at union minister Bhupender Yadav's residence suggested that Sudip Bandyopadhyay could join the dissident TMC group.

Published on: Jun 13, 2026, 19:31:08 IST
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The mystery over the 20th rebel Trinamool Congress MP seems to be over as another TMC MP was seen arriving at the residence of Union minister Bhupender Yadav along with dissident leader Satabdi Roy.

FILE: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee with party MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay during an election campaign, in Kolkata. (PTI Photo) (PTI)
FILE: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee with party MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay during an election campaign, in Kolkata. (PTI Photo) (PTI)

The rebel group, which has support of 19 Lok Sabha MPs, have signed a letter expressing support for a rival TMC faction, staking claim to the party's symbol.

While the letter had signatures of 19 rebels, the serial number was marked till 20 and a missing name against number 13 sparked speculation of a new MP joining the rebel faction.

Also Read: Team rebel swells to 64, late-night raid at Abhishek Banerjee's residence: TMC split worries mount

On Saturday, the speculations came to rest as TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay arrived at the residence of Bhupender Yadav in Delhi, along with rebel leader Satabdi Roy.

The meeting at the Union minister's Motilal Nehru Marg residence, gives indication that the veteran MP could join the dissident group.

Bandyopadhyay, a Lok Sabha MP from the Kolkata Uttar seat, remains one of the most senior parliamentarians in the TMC and has long been regarded as a key bridge between the party leadership and Delhi's political establishment.

What now for TMC rebel faction?

The rebel group is now preparing to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday seeking to recognise them as a the "real TMC" and allow them to sit with alongside the ruling BJP-led NDA in the House.

As per the procedure, the Speaker will take a call on the request to identify the rebel group as the original TMC after a due process, which involves a face-to-face meeting with them.

Also Read: A forged army ID, a dummy pistol and 2 bouncers: How 'fake Brigadier' Aryan Verma tricked people

Rebel MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia said on Friday that 19 of the party's 28 Lok Sabha members were already backing the faction.

Kakoli Ghosh Dasdidar, the leader of the rebel faction, has declared that the bloc would offer support to the BJP-led NDA in Parliament after getting recognition.

The letter of the rebel faction, dated May 18, had signatures of 19 rebel MPs, but the serial numbers showed signatories are from 1 to 20. The missing signature against number 13 had sparked speculation over the name of the MP who would go with the rebel group.

The letter features names, inclduing Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar; Satabdi Roy; Bapi Haldar; Sharmila Sarkar; Prasun Bandyopadhyay; Jagadish Barma Basunia; Asit Kumar Mal; Arup Chakraborty; Rachna Banerjee; Saayoni Ghosh; Khalilur Rahaman; Abu Taher Khan; Yusuf Pathan; Mitali Bag; Mala Roy; Kalipada Soren; Deepak Adhikari; June Malia and Partha Bhowmick.

The latest development is a fresh setback to Mamata Banerjee in the long list of upsets her party is facing after a massive loss in Bengal polls.

A group of 64 of the 80 MLAs of TMC has already broken away from the party in the state Assembly and has secured the recognition of Speaker Rathindra Bose, with the leader of the dissident faction, Ritabrata Banerjee, being named as the Leader of Opposition.

  • Majid Alam
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Majid Alam

    Majid Alam is a Chief Content Producer working at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi. He currently heads shifts at online desk and manages homepage apart from writing, editing and curating articles. With over six years of experience in journalism, Majid has navigated national, politics and international news. His work primarily focuses on the politics of the Hindi heartland, government policies, and South Asia. He also writes on US and Europe’s policies vis-à-vis India. Before joining Hindustan Times, Majid worked at ABP LIVE as the Chief Copy Editor and at News18, where he managed the World and Explainers sections. His articles have featured in Dialogue Earth, The Quint, BMJ, The Diplomat, and Outlook India. Majid has a keen interest in the use of data for storytelling. Majid holds a Masters in Convergent Journalism from Jamia Millia Islamia. He was awarded the Erasmus+ scholarship to study International Affairs at Sciences Po, Paris in 2020. He is also part of the OCEANS Network, an alumni network of Erasmus+ exchange scholars. He is currently serving as the National Representative (India) at the OCEANS Network. Apart from journalism, Majid has a flair for academic writing and loves to teach. He has published a book chapter: 'Bombay Cinema and Postmodernism' in the book: 'Handbook of Research on Social and Cultural Dynamics in Indian Cinema.' He was also part of the OCEANS Network delegation to Hanoi National University of Education in Vietnam in 2025. He has also given guest lecture in digital journalism at AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia.Read More

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