Mamata Banerjee's Trusted Aide Sudip Bandyopadhyay’s Meeting With BJP Leader Fuels Speculation of Shift to Rebel Camp

Kolkata: Fresh political uncertainty has emerged within the Trinamool Congress after senior party leader and Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay met Union Minister and BJP leader Bhupendra Yadav, intensifying speculation that he may align with the rebel faction.

Bandyopadhyay, one of the Trinamool Congress’s longest-serving parliamentarians and a close associate of party chief Mamata Banerjee, reportedly travelled to Delhi accompanied by Birbhum MP Satabdi Roy, who has already indicated support for the dissident camp.

If Bandyopadhyay formally joins the rebels, it could significantly alter the balance within the party’s parliamentary wing. Following the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Trinamool had secured 29 seats, but the death of Basirhat MP Haji Sheikh Nurul Islam reduced the number to 28. Reports suggest that a shift by Bandyopadhyay would further strengthen the rebel bloc and reduce the number of MPs continuing with Mamata Banerjee.

The reported developments come ahead of a planned meeting between rebel MPs and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, where they are expected to seek recognition as an independent grouping supporting the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.

Speculation has also grown over the possible political move of Bandyopadhyay’s wife, Nayna Bandyopadhyay, who is a TMC MLA from Chowrangee.

The developments have triggered sharp reactions. Critics within rival and former political circles questioned the senior leader’s political legacy, while Trinamool leaders loyal to Mamata Banerjee accused defectors of turning against a leadership that helped elevate them politically.

The evolving power struggle has added fresh uncertainty to the future of Trinamool’s internal political equations.