TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay aligns with rebel faction, backs advisory role for Mamata

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is experiencing significant internal turmoil, marked by a dissident faction of MPs announcing their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party. These rebel MPs have formally requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for separate seating arrangements, asserting that two-thirds of the TMC's Lok Sabha members support their move. They also indicated that a court will ultimately decide the status of the 'real TMC'. This factionalism is occurring against a backdrop of serious allegations, including a West Bengal Cabinet Minister's accusation of widespread fraud and job selling by TMC MPs and MLAs. Minister Gouri Shankar Ghosh stated that central investigative agencies like the CID, ED, and CBI are expected to hold top TMC leadership accountable for these corrupt practices. Adding to the internal discord, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, Manan Kumar Mishra, alleged that TMC leaders feel pressured and "devastated" by Mamata Banerjee's leadership, characterizing it as a "reign of terror." In an effort to consolidate control amidst these challenges, Mamata Banerjee has initiated a reshuffle within the party's organizational structure. She has removed Saayoni Ghosh from her position as youth wing president and Mala Roy from the presidency of the women's wing. Further illustrating the divisions, senior TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay has aligned himself with a dissident faction that supports retaining Mamata Banerjee in an advisory role, a move that mirrors a similar proposal within the West Bengal assembly. This faction plans to seek recognition as a separate bloc within the party's parliamentary wing. The internal strife is also marked by the resignation of Manas Bhunia, a former minister in the Mamata Banerjee government and a seven-time MLA, who has quit all party posts.