Suspended Trinamool Congress leader Riju Dutta has claimed that about 20 party MPs have approached the Bharatiya Janata Party’s office with application forms, adding a fresh layer of uncertainty to the deepening organisational crisis around Mamata Banerjee’s party after its loss of power in West Bengal.
Dutta, who was suspended for six years after speaking against the party leadership, said on Thursday that the MPs were seeking entry into the BJP but had not been accepted. He cited his own sources for the claim and suggested that the ruling party in West Bengal was weighing any possible inductions carefully. No list of MPs has been made public, and the assertion could not be independently verified.
The allegation comes days after Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said the party would not allow the “Trinamoolisation” of its organisation and would keep its doors shut to tainted leaders. That position has given the BJP room to project discipline after its Assembly victory while keeping political pressure on the Trinamool Congress, which is facing open dissent from within its legislative ranks.
Dutta’s remarks follow a dramatic rebellion in the West Bengal Assembly, where a large group of Trinamool MLAs backed expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition. The rebel bloc has claimed that it represents the real Trinamool in the House, while continuing to publicly invoke loyalty to Mamata Banerjee. Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose has rejected the party’s attempt to expel Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, holding that the action did not meet procedural requirements.
The dispute has moved beyond routine factionalism because it raises questions over control of the legislature party, the party symbol and the Opposition space in the Assembly. Trinamool leaders loyal to Mamata Banerjee are expected to contest the Speaker’s decision through legal and political channels, arguing that expelled legislators cannot claim the party’s identity while defying its central leadership.
Dutta has framed the revolt as the first phase of a wider realignment, saying that the Assembly crisis could be followed by developments in Parliament. His reference to about 20 MPs has intensified speculation over whether the party’s Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members are also under pressure after the BJP’s rise to power in the state.
The Trinamool Congress has not produced evidence of a parliamentary split, and no MP has publicly confirmed submitting an application to join the BJP. Party insiders loyal to Mamata Banerjee view Dutta’s statements as part of an attempt to create panic and weaken morale after the electoral defeat. They argue that dissenters are using the language of internal reform while effectively helping the BJP consolidate its hold over Bengal politics.
The BJP, for its part, has avoided confirming any negotiations with Trinamool MPs. Its state leadership appears keen to prevent a rush of defectors from diluting the organisation at a time when it is trying to establish administrative authority and absorb the responsibilities of government. The party also faces pressure from long-time workers who resisted the Trinamool during its 15 years in power and are wary of late entrants seeking protection or relevance.
Mamata Banerjee, who built the Trinamool Congress in 1998 after leaving the Congress, is confronting one of the sharpest internal challenges of her political career. Her party dominated West Bengal politics from 2011 until the BJP’s victory in the 2026 Assembly election. The loss of office has exposed tensions over leadership style, succession, candidate selection and the role of Abhishek Banerjee in party affairs.
