TMC crisis highlights: 'Real' vs 'fake' TMC fight heats up, rebel leaders set to meet Lok Sabha speaker on Monday

TMC crisis LIVE updates: CPI general secretary D Raja on Friday said that the political situation is changing in a way that some parties who were formed by their leaders after coming out of Congress are finding it difficult to survive and that there are speculations that they could merge with Congress.

He also referred to turmoil in the Trinamool Congress and said a section of its MPs is demanding separate recognition in the Lok Sabha.

"Sharad Pawar and Mamata Banerjee were in Congress, split and formed their own parties in Maharashtra and West Bengal. Now the political situation is changing in a way that these parties are finding it difficult to survive and move forward independently. There are speculations that they will have to merge with Congress, because NCP split, now TMC split and the Parliamentary group is demanding separate recognition," Raja told ANI.

TMC crisis LIVE updates: TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Friday asserted that he has never shied away from any investigation and questioned what he described as a "double standard" of the BJP government, after the CID sought to serve him a notice over an alleged provocative speech made during the assembly election campaign.

Hours after a CID team visited his Kalighat residence, the Diamond Harbour MP said he had always cooperated with investigating agencies, and suggested that officers inform him in advance before visiting his house.

"I have never evaded any investigation. Whether it was the ED, CBI or CID, whenever I have been summoned, I have appeared and cooperated," the TMC national general secretary told reporters here.

Referring to his appearance before the CID on Thursday in the signature forgery case linked to the selection of the Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Banerjee said he spent nearly five-and-a-half hours answering questions.

"Only yesterday I was questioned by the CID for more than five hours and extended full cooperation. If I am not at home, a notice can be handed over to someone present in the house. Since they were unwilling to do that, they had to wait till I returned," he said.

"The meeting at our leader's house was fixed beforehand. I was not at home. My request is simple – please contact me before coming next time," Banerjee said.

via PTI

TMC crisis LIVE updates: The crisis in the Trinamool Congress deepened on Friday as a group of dissident MPs claiming the support of 19 Lok Sabha members announced that they would meet Speaker Om Birla next week to seek recognition as the "real TMC" parliamentary group, a move that the Mamata Banerjee-led party dismissed as legally untenable under the anti-defection law.

Rebel MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia said the dissident camp has already submitted a representation to the Speaker and will formally stake its claim on Monday.

"We have submitted the letter... On Monday, we will go to the Speaker and stake our claim to form the real TMC parliamentary group. We will ask the Speaker to give recognition to our claim," Basunia told PTI Videos.

He said the process to collect signatures began on June 8 and that 19 MPs had signed the representation so far. Sources said the timing of the meeting has not been finalised yet.

The announcement drew a sharp response from the TMC, which maintained that the dissidents' claim had no legal basis. Party MP Mahua Moitra said the Constitution's 91st Amendment had removed provisions for a split and that lawmakers seeking to leave a party would have to merge with another political party.

"Traitor TMC lawmakers don't know the law. Constitution 91st Amendment 2003 removed the provision for a split/separate bloc. The number of MPs is irrelevant -- 2/3 of the original political party has to merge with another party. All 19 traitors need to resign & contest on BJP ticket," she said in a post on X.

via PTI

TMC crisis LIVE updates: A person lodged a complaint at the Netaji Nagar Police Station, alleging that TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee's comments at a party programme at the Metro Channel in Kolkata's Esplanade area on March 9 were "capable of promoting enmity between communities", he said.

The case was initially registered as a "zero FIR", and has been transferred to the Hare Street Police Station as the place where the TMC supremo had allegedly made the comments comes under its jurisdiction, the officer said.

"The complainant alleged that Banerjee's statements had the potential to disturb peace and adversely affect communal harmony and democratic norms," he said.

via PTI

TMC crisis LIVE updates: A team of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officials reached the residence of Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee on Friday in Kolkata in connection with the signature forgery case.

Lawyers of Abhishek Banerjee also arrived at his residence.

Abhishek Banerjee was on Thursday questioned by the CID for nearly 5.5 hours in connection with a signature forgery case at Bhabani Bhawan, the agency's headquarters in Kolkata's Alipore area.

TMC MLA Madan Mitra told ANI that Abhishek Banerjee had been cooperating with the investigation and would continue to do so.

"They (CID) have come; it's their job, so they've come. They want cooperation from Abhishek Banerjee, and Abhishek Banerjee is cooperating. He has cooperated in the past, and he will continue to cooperate," he said.

Debashish Rai said that CID has not given any intimation to them regarding the purpose of the CID visit.

"CID has not given us any intimation. We have no information. We will tell you more once we have some information and follow the rules...We don't know why they are here."

via ANI

TMC crisis LIVE updates: An FIR has been registered against former West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee for allegedly making provocative remarks during the last assembly poll campaign, a senior officer said on Friday.

A person lodged a complaint at the Netaji Nagar Police Station, alleging that Banerjee's comments at a party programme at the Metro Channel in Kolkata's Esplanade area on March 9 were "capable of promoting enmity between communities", he said.

The case was initially registered as a "zero FIR", and has been transferred to the Hare Street Police Station as the place where the TMC supremo had allegedly made the comments comes under its jurisdiction, the officer said.

"The complainant alleged that Banerjee's statements had the potential to disturb peace and adversely affect communal harmony and democratic norms," he said.

The complaint was received and processed as per procedure, another Kolkata Police officer said.

"We will take appropriate action after scrutiny of the allegations and relevant materials," he said.

via PTI

TMC crisis LIVE updates: West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari will be meeting rebelling TMC MPs in Delhi on Sunday, rebel TMC MP Jagdish Basunia said, ANI reported. The MPs are set to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday in the national capital.

Twenty rebel MPs from the TMC will meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday to stake claim to be recognised as the "real TMC", rebel MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia said on Friday.

TMC crisis LIVE updates: An FIR has been registered against former West Bengal chief minister and TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee in connection with alleged inflammatory and communal statements made during a political rally ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, reported news agency ANI.

The case has been lodged at Hare Street Police Station in Kolkata’s Central Division under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further details on the allegations and investigation are awaited.

TMC crisis LIVE updates: Expelled TMC leader Sandipan Saha blamed Mamata Banerjee's inaccessibility to party MLAs and MPs for the revolt within the TMC. “This was bound to happen... The reasons of the MLAs and the MPs behind their decisions cannot be different... They were MPs, yet they were not getting the chance to talk to Mamata Banerjee and meet Abhishek Banerjee,” Saha said.

“It would be better not to form the working committee list for the Trinamool Congress formed by Mamata Banerjee. There is no guarantee where the individuals named in that list might end up after a short while... There must be underlying reasons why the party has deteriorated so rapidly in such a short span of time.... Her leadership is being challenged, and no one wants to fall in line with Abhishek Banerjee; the discontent has reached a level where it is now finally surfacing,” he said.

TMC crisis LIVE updates: Taking potshots at the crisis-hit TMC, BJP's Locket Chatterjee on Friday said the party has lost all three – Maa, Mati, Manus – and that only the party logo remains. “Their deeds should be investigated and they should cooperate in this... Where is the ego of Abhishek Banerjee, who said that they will accept the punishment if they are found guilty?” she said.

TMC crisis LIVE updates: Suspended TMC leader Riju Dutta on Friday said that the party's internal crisis and 19 of 20 rebels planning to support NDA is something that everyone knew was coming. “Everyone knew this was coming; some people were questioning where the signatures or the lists were. Now that has come to light as well. As far as I know, these MPs are likely to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday, and a major meeting is scheduled for Sunday, which, according to my information, the Chief Minister of Bengal might also attend... This rebel faction of TMC MPs, numbering around 20, has clearly stated that they will support the NDA for the national interest. So, it is a win-win situation for the BJP, they are gaining support without the MPs having to formally join the party," he said.

TMC crisis LIVE updates: TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha on Friday reiterated his support for party supremo Mamata Banerjee and called her a mature and tested leader. “I was with Mamata Didi, I am with Mamata Didi and I will always be with Mamata Didi... Neither Abhishek Banerjee nor anyone else is my leader. My leader is only Mamata Banerjee... This was the time to show unity and stand with Mamata Banerjee, this was not the time to leave her... Mamata Banerjee is a mature, tried and tested leader," he said. On the internal crisis within the party, Sinha said that they are all ‘nice people’ and are switching, maybe for the fear of govt agencies such as the CBI, ED, etc and may have cases against them. "Some might be leaving the party out of compulsion," he said.

TMC crisis LIVE updates: Dissident TMC MPs will meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday to stake claim to be recognised as the "real TMC", rebel MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia said on Friday, claiming that 19 LS members are currently backing the faction.

Basunia, the MP from Cooch Behar and among the lawmakers seeking to support the NDA in the Lok Sabha, told PTI Videos that the group would meet the Speaker on Monday.

"On Monday, we will go to the Speaker, and we have made a claim regarding forming the real TMC vote group. We will ask the Speaker to give recognition to our claim," Basunia said.

Sources said the timing of the meeting is yet to be finalised.

Asked about senior Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee's remarks on Abhishek Banerjee, Basunia said, "He is saying the right thing. We support Kalyan ji's statement".

TMC crisis LIVE updates: West Bengal CID on Friday issued fresh summons to TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee for a second round of questioning on June 14 in connection with the alleged signature forgery case after investigators were reportedly dissatisfied with his responses during questioning at the department headquarters a day ago, an officer said.

Banerjee, who appeared before the state investigating agency on Thursday after skipping three earlier summonses and following directions from the Calcutta High Court, was questioned for several hours by a team of senior officers.

Banerjee replied "I do not know" to several questions relating to the disputed resolution submitted to the Assembly and allegedly lost his temper at certain stages, the officer claimed.

"Several questions relating to the resolution, the signatures appearing on it, and the supporting documents could not be conclusively addressed during questioning. Certain records sought by the investigating team are yet to be produced. He has, therefore, been asked to appear again on Sunday with relevant documents," he told PTI.

Investigators sought clarification on how signatures of legislators who were allegedly absent from the party meeting appeared on the resolution, who had signed the document, and where the original copy was located, he said.

"The investigation is focused on establishing the authenticity of the documents and the circumstances under which they were prepared and submitted. Further verification is required before any conclusion can be drawn," the officer added.

via PTI

TMC crisis LIVE updates: Former TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev on Friday declined to reveal her next political destination, saying the decision would depend not only on her but also on the party she may choose to join.

Confirming that she met Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma after resigning, Dev said, "You need a party to do politics. It is a big question which party I will join... I met Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma after resigning. I held talks with him," she said, reported PTI.

Emphasising patience amid speculation over her future, Dev added, "Politics is a game of nerves... if you don't have patience then it doesn't work like that. I have to wait and I have to be patient. I am happy to wait."

TMC crisis LIVE updates: Reacting to reports of around 20 TMC MPs backing the dissident camp, West Bengal Leader of Opposition and expelled TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee said he would not be surprised if the number rises further.

Questioning the functioning of the party's parliamentary wing, Banerjee said, "If the number is even more than 20, I will not be at all surprised because the manner in which the parliamentary parties were run is completely against democratic norms and principles," reported news agency ANI.

TMC crisis LIVE updates: Amid Kalyan Banerjee's sharp criticism of Abhishek Banerjee, senior TMC MP Saugata Roy came out in defence of the party's national general secretary, saying it was unfair to hold him solely responsible for the party's troubles. While acknowledging that the TMC is "in a bad state", Roy said those now targeting Abhishek had been praising him until recently.

"However, it is unfair to blame Abhishek for everything. After all, the very people saying these things used to chant praises for Abhishek before May 4th. They never expressed such grievances before. I view this change of allegiance as an opportunistic move," Roy said.

TMC crisis LIVE updates: Responding to TMC MP Kirti Azad's allegation that the BJP is trying to break his party, BJP leader Nalin Kohli said the scale of the rebellion within the TMC cannot be dismissed as mere political accusations.

He said, “In a situation where 58 MLAs have left the Trinamool Congress and formed a separate group in West Bengal, and 19 out of 28 Lok Sabha MPs have also left the party and are forming a separate faction, this is not merely a matter of allegations and counter-allegations. A clear question arises: why were these leaders so dissatisfied with Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee?” reported news agency PTI.

"Instead of leveling accusations against the BJP, there is a need for introspection within that party and its leadership," Kohli said.

TMC crisis LIVE updates: Reacting to the growing crisis within the TMC, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh claimed the party was facing the consequences of its own actions.

Alleging that the TMC was built on "politics of sin, fraud, forgery, loot and appeasement", Chugh said its organisational structure was now crumbling, reported news agency ANI.

"The dilapidated fort of TMC... is collapsing like a house of cards," he said, adding that leaders who had "turned West Bengal into a hub of corruption and appeasement" were now facing the burden of their actions.

TMC crisis LIVE updates: TMC MP Mahua Moitra launched a sharp attack on the party's rebel lawmakers, arguing that their numbers hold no legal significance under the anti-defection law.

In a post on X, Moitra said, "Traitor TMC lawmakers don’t know law. Constitution 91st Amendment 2003 removed provision for split/ separate bloc. Number of MPs is irrelevant- 2/3 of original political party has to MERGE with another party. All 19 traitors need to resign & contest on BJP ticket."

TMC crisis LIVE updates: Adding to the chorus of dissent within the TMC, rebel MP Jagadish Barma Basunia alleged that party leaders are not allowed to speak freely and face consequences for voicing concerns.

Claiming that objections raised within the party have gone unheard since 2019, Basunia said, “If anyone speaks out too much, they get sidelined; they are removed from the post they hold. There is no freedom of speech... As an MP, I have no independence; I don't get the opportunity,” news agency PTI quoted him as saying.

TMC crisis LIVE updates: Amid the unrest within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), senior party leader Kunal Ghosh on Thursday said that it remains committed to the INDIA bloc and its opposition to what it calls the BJP's "anti-people policies".

Speaking to ANI, Ghosh indicated that the party would continue to follow a strategy in line with its allies at the national level.

"We have to further strengthen the INDIA bloc. Congress and TMC will work unitedly against the BJP and the Central government and their anti-people policies," he said.

TMC crisis LIVE updates: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kirti Azad on Friday accused rebel leaders from the party of corruption, alleging that Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar was "caught on camera accepting ₹5 lakh" and questioning her credibility for targeting TMC chief Mamata Banerjee.

Speaking to ANI, Azad claimed that rebel leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar had earlier been caught taking a bribe and said he was aware of others allegedly involved.

"Kakoli Dastidar was caught on camera accepting ₹5 lakh. Where was her integrity then? Yet today, she questions Mamata Banerjee about bribes. When talking about bribes, she should also reveal how many of the initial eight were bribed... I know all these details. One day, I will expose them. I intend to catch them red-handed the very moment they hand over that ₹10 lakh. It's not impossible, because the information will come from within their own camp," he said.

TMC crisis LIVE updates: TMC party posters have been removed from the Delhi residence of Barrackpore MP Partha Bhowmick at 20, Rajendra Prasad Road.

Bhowmick is among the 20 breakaway TMC MPs who are part of the dissident camp.