Rebel MP Arup Chakraborty claims support of 20 MPs, says group wants to "rebuild TMC in new form"

Chakraborty said that the Bharatiya Janata Party's support is with the party and the rebel MPs' support would be with the ruling party. He added that the "state and the Centre" will work through a "joint-engine government.

Speaking to ANI, Chakraborty, who is among the MPs demanding separate seating arrangements in Parliament, said, "We have the support of 20 MPs."

Responding to allegations by senior TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee that the dissidents were leaving the party due to the BJP being in power and were "hungry for power", Chakraborty said, "Who is spreading these things? These allegations against us are wrong. We want to save TMC. Our elected members are going to form a new party with TMC. We want to sit separately with our 20 seats. We are not going anywhere for sycophancy. We won for TMC because of the people's votes and blessings. We have gone to Parliament with public support and want to rebuild TMC in a new form. One good thing is that BJP's support will be with us and our support will be with the BJP. Together, the state and the Centre will work through a joint-engine government."

On allegations that Abhishek Banerjee interfered excessively in party functioning and reports of a possible merger with Congress, Chakraborty said political parties should function through discussions among leaders and decisions are taken accordingly.

"You should ask Mamata ji why she does not sit together with everyone. Internal matters of a party are not discussed with everyone. There is party discipline and confidential matters are not market gossip. Political parties function through discussions among leaders and decisions are taken accordingly. Behaviour should be good. Nothing can be achieved through force. Everyone should work together. Politics is not about fights or setting the house on fire. It is public work. In a democracy, political leaders work for the people and it is our responsibility to take that work forward," he added.

Amid intensifying internal rift within the party, a series of resignations and rebel assertions have fuelled uncertainty over the party's internal cohesion and possible merger.

19 breakaway MPs, including senior leaders Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Satabdi Roy, submitted their names to the Lok Sabha Speaker's Office on May 18, according to sources on Friday.

The list of MPs also includes Bapi Haldar, Dr. Sharmila Sarkar, Prasun Bandyopadhyay, Jagadish Barma Basunia, Asit Kumar Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Rachna Banerjee, Saayoni Ghosh, Khalilur Rahaman, Abu Taher Khan, Yusuf Pathan, Mitali Bag, Mala Roy, Kalipada Soren, Deepak Adhikari, June Malia, and Partha Bhowmick.

Rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar earlier confirmed that a group of 20 MPs has formally sought separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha, signalling an organisational split within the party's parliamentary ranks.

This move comes amid growing internal tensions within the TMC following the party's underwhelming performance in the recent 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, which has reportedly led to a widening rift between the party veterans and the central leadership headed by Mamata Banerjee. (ANI)