‘TMC is a Single, Indivisisible Political Party’: Abhishek Banerjee Urges Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to Reject Rebel Faction

Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary and Parliamentary Party Leader Abhishek Banerjee has formally written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him to reject any requests to recognize a separate faction or breakaway group within the party.

The communication follows widespread reports that a dissident faction of TMC Members of Parliament (MPs) is planning to approach the Speaker to claim independent status or stake a claim as the "real TMC" parliamentary group. In his letter, Banerjee asserted that the party remains a "single, indivisible political party" and argued that no sub-group of lawmakers can unilaterally carve out a parallel faction inside the House. Trinamool Split Final? Rebel MPs To Meet Speaker Om Birla on Monday, To Seek Recognition As ‘Real TMC’.

The development marks a sharp escalation in internal friction for the Trinamool Congress following its defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Speculation surrounding a formal split intensified after signatures from a reported 19 dissident MPs began circulating publicly, with rebel leaders signaling plans to meet with Speaker Birla to formalize their detachment from the party's central leadership.

In his letter, Banerjee cited the Supreme Court’s 2023 Constitution Bench ruling in the Shiv Sena split case, noting that the defense of a "split" no longer exists under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. He emphasized that even if a group commands a two-thirds majority within the legislative wing, the anti-defection law offers no protection unless the original political party itself undergoes a merger with another entity.

Banerjee requested that the Lok Sabha Secretariat continue to recognize the TMC as a single unit represented exclusively by its officially authorized Leader and Whip. He further requested that the party be granted a formal hearing before the Speaker’s office takes any final action on representations from the breakaway group. TMC Split Claim Reaches Lok Sabha As Rebel MPs Assert Two-Thirds Support Under Anti-Defection Law.

‘TMC is a Single, Indivisisible Political Party’

TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee writes to Lok Sabha Speaker: "Treat the AITC as a single political party represented in the House solely through its duly authorised Leader and Whip, and decline to accord any recognition, status, or facility to any purported separate group or faction… pic.twitter.com/osEoy8ro17

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 14, 2026

Concurrently, the TMC leadership has launched an organizational overhaul, removing several prominent figures associated with the dissent from key party positions. Party loyalists have rejected the rebel camp’s legal arguments, maintaining that lawmakers who break away without an official organizational merger face potential disqualification under India's anti-defection framework.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 14, 2026 06:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).