The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is seen finding itself battling one of the biggest political crises in its history, with growing rebellion inside the party, fears of defections, and mounting pressure after its crushing defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections. Against this backdrop, former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee‘s expected participation in the INDIA bloc meeting in New Delhi on June 8 has assumed major political significance.
The meeting, which is likely to bring together top leaders of opposition parties from across the country, comes at a time when the TMC is struggling to contain internal unrest following the BJP’s victory in Bengal under Suvendu Adhikari’s leadership.
Rebel camp flexes strength inside Assembly
On Wednesday (June 3), the crisis escalated when expelled TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee arrived at the West Bengal Assembly carrying a letter claiming support from a large section of the party’s legislators.
According to The Indian Express, the rebel faction is attempting to gather the support of nearly 59 MLAs, close to three-fourths of the TMC’s total strength of 80 legislators in the Assembly. Political observers believe the group is trying to cross the two-thirds mark required under the anti-defection law to avoid disqualification in case of a formal split or merger.
The rebel TMC leaders reportedly arrived at the Assembly together in a mini bus, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, in what was seen as a symbolic show of strength against the party leadership.
The rebellion comes less than a month after the TMC suffered a dramatic electoral setback, ending its 15-year rule in West Bengal.
Missing MLAs deepen concerns for TMC leadership
Concerns within the party intensified after a large number of TMC MLAs remained absent from recent organisational meetings convened by Mamata Banerjee. Several legislators were also missing during the protests led by the former chief minister in Kolkata earlier this week, raising speculation that dissatisfaction within the party is far deeper than publicly acknowledged.
Party leaders allegedly fear that the BJP may attempt to engineer defections at a time when the TMC is already grappling with organisational instability and leadership questions following the election defeat.
INDIA bloc meet becomes politically crucial
Against this backdrop, Mamata Banerjee and TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee are expected to use the INDIA bloc meeting as an opportunity to regain political momentum and rally support from opposition allies. The TMC leadership is hoping the platform will help counter the perception of political isolation while reinforcing the party’s position within the national anti-BJP opposition framework.
The meeting also comes months after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s outreach efforts to opposition parties, including his August 2025 dinner meeting with INDIA bloc leaders where he raised concerns about alleged electoral irregularities and urged a coordinated opposition response.
For Mamata Banerjee, the June 8 gathering could become an important stage to project resilience and signal that the TMC remains a central player in national opposition politics despite its defeat in Bengal.
Mamata returns to street politics
Even as the rebellion intensifies, Mamata Banerjee has attempted to revive her image as an aggressive street-fighting opposition leader.
On Tuesday, she led a protest march in Kolkata against alleged attacks on TMC leaders and workers after the election results. The demonstration followed reported incidents involving Abhishek Banerjee and senior MP Kalyan Banerjee.
Addressing party workers during the protest, Mamata accused the BJP government of intimidation and warned that the TMC would continue its political fight.
“TMC will become even stronger. You cannot weaken the party by intimidating or bribing a few MLAs and MPs,” she said.
She also indicated that the protests could expand beyond West Bengal if the alleged targeting of party leaders continued.
Electoral manipulation claims resurface
Mamata Banerjee has also revived allegations of electoral manipulation following the Assembly polls. During a recent Facebook Live session, she claimed that the TMC’s mandate had been overturned in nearly 150 constituencies and raised concerns about voter list irregularities.
“Winning seats were turned into losing seats and losing ones into winning seats,” she alleged.
The BJP has rejected the allegations and accused the TMC leadership of attempting to deflect attention from its electoral defeat and internal divisions.