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In a major blow to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, senior party leader and veteran parliamentarian Sudip Bandyopadhyay joined the rebel camp on Saturday, further intensifying the political crisis within the party, news agency PTI reported.

Bandyopadhyay, considered one of Banerjee's closest aides in Parliament, met Union Minister Bhupender Yadav along with rebel TMC MP Satabdi Roy and later held discussions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. His move comes amid growing dissent within the party following its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections.

With Bandyopadhyay's entry into the dissident camp, rebel leaders now claim the support of 20 Lok Sabha MPs out of the TMC's total strength of 28 in the Lower House.

Rebels To Approach Lok Sabha Speaker

The dissident faction is preparing to approach Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday to seek recognition as the "real" TMC parliamentary group.

Rebel MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia said the faction has already submitted a letter and will formally stake its claim before the Speaker. Sources within the camp indicated that they want Bandyopadhyay to lead the group in the Lok Sabha.

The rebel MPs are also expected to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday ahead of their planned meeting with the Speaker.

More Desertions Add To TMC's Troubles

The developments come as the Trinamool Congress continues to witness a series of desertions. Former West Bengal minister Manas Bhunia resigned from the party on Saturday, adding to the turmoil.

Earlier this week, Rajya Sabha MPs Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik resigned from both the party and the Upper House, deepening the crisis for the Mamata Banerjee-led party.

TMC Leaders React To Sudip's Exit

Reacting to Bandyopadhyay's move, senior TMC MP Saugata Roy expressed disappointment, saying he had recently spoken to him and was assured that he would not leave the party.

TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee, however, downplayed the development, saying several leaders had already left and it was "not a big deal."

Anti-Defection Law Debate Intensifies

Former TMC Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale rejected the rebels' claim, arguing that the anti-defection law does not protect a split in a parliamentary party.

He maintained that any attempt to back the BJP-led NDA or defy the party whip could invite disqualification proceedings, and said the Constitution's 91st Amendment had removed protections previously available for splits within parties.

TMC Dismisses Merger Speculation

Amid speculation over the party's future, TMC National Joint Secretary Derek O'Brien dismissed reports of a merger with another political formation as "baseless."

He reiterated that recent meetings between senior TMC and Congress leaders in New Delhi were aimed solely at strengthening opposition coordination and not discussing any merger plans.

The coming days are expected to be crucial for the Trinamool Congress as the rebel faction seeks official recognition and the party leadership attempts to contain the growing rebellion within its ranks.