India
Opposition Walks Out Over Centre Inviting Rebel Trinamool Faction
Will the Monsoon Session erupt as the government legitimizes defectors before the Speaker decides?
Will the Monsoon Session erupt as the government legitimizes defectors before the Speaker decides?
The Opposition walked out of a Centre-led all-party meeting to protest the government's invitation to a breakaway faction that merged with the , a move critics say legitimizes defectors while bypassing . The dispute hinges on whether 20 rebel MPs can claim under the Constitution's without the original party's organizational consent, a legal question pending before the and potentially the Supreme Court. This confrontation sets the stage for a contentious of Parliament, with the Opposition alleging an attempt to split the TMC and undermine institutional safeguards against political defections.
The commences on July 20, 2026, with the row over the rebel TMC faction and the Centre's invitation to setting the stage for high drama and a contentious session. The Opposition is expected to challenge the government's actions on anti-defection law enforcement during the session.
Following the walkout, Opposition leaders accuse the government of attempting to legitimize the and bypass the , with Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra confirming the entire Opposition walked out. They also protest 's decision to allow separate seating for the 20 rebel MPs in the House.
All Opposition parties, including Congress, DMK, AAP, Left parties, and Shiv Sena UBT, stage a brief symbolic walkout from the Centre-led all-party meeting to protest the invitation extended to the unrecognized NCPI faction. The walkout underscores a unified front against the government's handling of the rebel TMC MPs.
The Modi government issues a separate invitation to the NCPI, which now houses the 20 rebel TMC MPs, for the customary all-party meeting in New Delhi, despite the Speaker's pending final decision on their political status. The invitation is seen as an attempt to legitimize the defectors before the Monsoon Session begins.
The state unit president of the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal resigns after party supremo Mamata Banerjee accuses him of allowing rebels to seize control of the Kolkata headquarters. The resignation reflects the party's internal turmoil and leadership fallout following the rebel occupation.
The Ritabrata-led rebel faction takes control of the Trinamool Bhawan office in Kolkata, holds internal meetings, and locks the facility to prevent access by the main party leadership, deepening the public rift. The takeover marks a significant escalation in the physical and political struggle for party control.
Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose conferred the official status of Leader of Opposition on Ritabrata Banerjee, the expelled TMC MLA leading a rebel faction backed by 58–60 legislators, after the dissidents submitted a letter endorsing him. While Banerjee claims the Speaker acknowledged his group as the principal opposition, sources report only the Speaker's confirmation of his LoP status, not formal recognition of the faction itself as the .
Twenty members from the Trinamool Congress announce a dramatic split and merge with the , a Tripura-based party, in an effort to circumvent the . The move aims to secure parliamentary recognition for the rebel faction while the Speaker's final decision on their status remains pending.