Rebel TMC MPs siding with BJP, says Kalyan Banerjee

A day after 20 Lok Sabha members of the Trinamool Congress revolted against the party leadership, loyalists of Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) launched a sharp attack on the rebel MPs alleging that they were siding with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Trinamool MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Kirti Azad addressed a press conference in New Delhi, and said that “Today their (rebel MPs) leader is Narendra Modi. They have become BJP.”

Mr. Kalyan, who is also the Chief Whip of the party in the Lok Sabha, said the leaders were free to leave the party but urged them to “stop writing Trinamool leader/MP beside their name”.

Several MPs from the Trinamool met Union Minister and BJP West Bengal observer Bhupendra Yadav at his residence on Monday and said that they were creating a separate bloc of Trinamool which will support the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

“If you are so honest, why don’t you make it public? Why don’t you have the courage to give the letter to the press?” Mr. Kalyan asked, alleging that the entire exercise lacked transparency.

Questioning the authenticity of the letter, he said such an important document has not been placed in the public domain.

Mr. Kalyan and Mr. Azad also accused the rebel MPs of lacking political morality, maintaining links with the BJP and abandoning party workers at a time when they were allegedly facing harassment and political attacks.

“Sukhendu Sekhar Roy has resigned from the Rajya Sabha after making allegations against our party. Those who are making allegations against the party must follow the path of Sukhendu and show political morality by resigning as MPs,” Mr. Kalyan said.

The rebellion in the Trinamool started last week with 58 party MLAs selecting a new Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly on June 3. Almost a week after the rebellion, Lok Sabha MPs have begun a revolt against party leadership.

Barasat Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar is emerging as the leader of the rebel bloc and has claimed the support of the rebel Trinamool camp.

Referring to the arrest of Trinamool Congress leader Sabyasachi Dutta on Tuesday, Mr. Kalyan said that Ms. Dastidar has been targeting the Trinamool leaders with the help of the BJP. “Kakoli Ghosh immediately took security from the State and Central government, and now she is, with the help of the BJP, targeting leaders from Trinamool of her area”.

Ms. Dutta and Ms. Dastidar were considered political rivals.

Meanwhile, several leader who are considered loyalists of Ms. Banerjee criticised the search by the CID at the party chairperson residence. Mr. Kalyan went to Ms. Banerjee’s residence and raised questions about the raid. Another Trinamool MP Sagarika Ghose took to social media and said nothing was recovered by the CID during the raids.

Trinamool Ghatal MP and popular Bengali actor Dev alias Dipak Adhikari said that he will remain with Mamata Banerjee and not support the rival camp.

“I am not going to the new Trinamool. My love will remain for Ms. Banerjee throughout my life. I am not going to the new Trinamool. As long as Ms. Banerjee is alive, I will be with her,” he said, after participating in an administrative meeting with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.