Rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee has declared his dissident camp as the 'real Trinamool Congress,' claiming the support of 64 MLAs and a growing number of MPs, and explicitly stating they have no plans to merge with the Congress.
'Something could happen to me... I understood that day itself that what they had sent me was a final warning.'
Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation is significant because it punctures, however slightly, the perception that the Modi government never retreats under pressure. Every long-serving government eventually reaches a point where every institutional failure is identified with the leader himself. Removing the minister may have prevented that political burden from falling directly on Modi. Whether it also resolves the underlying crisis is another matter, notes Ramesh Menon.
Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress has replaced Saayoni Ghosh as youth wing president and Mala Roy as women's wing president, amidst a significant rebellion within the party where dissident MPs claim to have the support of 20 of the party's 28 Lok Sabha members.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has alleged that the BJP's "real and ultimate target" in seeking a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha is to amend the Constitution to end reservation, rather than genuinely implement women's reservation.
Amidst the INDIA bloc conclave in Delhi, a significant number of Trinamool Congress MPs convened a closed-door meeting, signalling a deepening internal rebellion and discontent within the party's parliamentary ranks following recent electoral setbacks.
The Congress party is reportedly considering moving its Madhya Pradesh MLAs to a party-ruled state, likely Karnataka, ahead of the June 18 Rajya Sabha elections. This move aims to prevent potential cross-voting after the BJP fielded a surprise third candidate, intensifying the contest for three Rajya Sabha seats.
Congress chief whip Jairam Ramesh has filed a privilege notice against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for allegedly making derogatory remarks about a parliamentary committee, claiming he lowered the dignity of Parliament.
Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has resigned from all organisational posts of the Trinamool Congress after expressing disappointment with the party leadership.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk's health is rapidly deteriorating on his 17th day of hunger strike, prompting widespread appeals from prominent political figures and Bollywood celebrities for him to end his fast and for the government to address the urgent demands for NEET examination reforms.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is reportedly set to skip the upcoming INDIA bloc meeting in New Delhi, signalling a growing rift with the Congress party. This development follows a political realignment in Tamil Nadu where Congress allied with the TVK, leading to the end of its long-standing cooperation with the DMK and a request for separate seating in the Lok Sabha.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is grappling with a severe internal crisis, evident as rival factions occupied separate sections of the opposition benches during the West Bengal assembly's budget session. This public display of disunity follows the party's defeat in the 2026 assembly elections and ongoing legal challenges over leadership.
There are strong possibilities of some Union ministers being sent to take organisational roles in the BJP and party office-bearers being inducted into the Modi ministry.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day following a dispute between the government and the opposition regarding Rahul Gandhi's request to speak before the Union Budget discussion commenced.
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) has named Jyotiprakash Chatterji as its new president, a development that follows the merger of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) rebel Lok Sabha faction with the party. This announcement by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a key figure in the dissident camp, comes amidst speculation about the party's leadership after its founder stepped down. However, details about Chatterji and the party's internal workings remain unclear, with some existing members expressing unawareness of the change.
The Congress party has announced its seven candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Pawan Khera, Meenakshi Natarajan, Praveen Chakravarty, Neeraj Dangi, Mansoor Ali Khan, and Pranav Jha, representing various states like Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand. The elections are set for June 18.
'It was done with record speed. First, a revolt of the MLAs, which was obviously engineered.' ''No one believed me when I said the MLAs breaking away is not the real issue.' 'It is like a comet. The head doesn't matter, the tail matters.' 'And the tail is Parliament. Suvendu has gifted the prime minister 20 MPs.'
'Now if you break the party under the 10th Schedule you have to join another party.' 'You cannot join the NDA as it is not a party. You can only join another party, and that is the BJP.' 'So the question to ask is that these so-called 20 TMC Lok Sabha MPs who are parting ways with the TMC, are they ready to join the BJP and accept Narendra Modi as their leader?'
Three BJP candidates have been declared elected unopposed in the biennial Rajya Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh, while the Congress party has moved the Supreme Court against the rejection of its candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination.
23 political parties of the INDIA bloc will meet on Monday to redraw their strategy to take on the BJP and iron out differences amid changed power dynamics after the defeat of regional anchors TMC and DMK in the recent assembly polls.
A complaint was submitted by BJP candidate Mahesh Kewat, contesting the third Rajya Sabha seat, to the Returning Officer alleging that Natarajan deliberately hid information about a case filed against her in Telangana.
A month after losing power in West Bengal and facing a rebellion by 58 MLAs, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) confronts an unprecedented challenge to Mamata Banerjee's absolute authority, raising questions about the party's survival and future.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing a severe leadership crisis as former minister Jyoti Priya Mallick resigned from all party organisational posts citing health, and senior North Bengal leader Goutam Deb stepped down as mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation, amidst widespread internal rifts and electoral setbacks.
Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury, a Rajya Sabha MP, has been served a notice for breach of privilege for bringing a stray into the Parliament complex and allegedly making derogatory remarks against MPs.
Omar Abdullah has so far laboured hard to make best of a bad bargain. Even so, the ground reality is anything but reassuring. The Opposition parties, including notably the PDP, appear to be gaining ground, though more by default. Public patience with Omar's government has nearly run out, notes Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
'It's a bit uncertain. Let's see what happens. But he is the top man of Assam, and since my politics is in Assam, I thought it's best to seek his guidance before I take any decision.'
Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee claims 64 dissident TMC MLAs have submitted their names to the Speaker, constituting over two-thirds of the party's Assembly strength, and has called for a floor test to verify their claims of support amidst a widening split within the Trinamool Congress.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee has formally petitioned Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to disqualify 20 rebel MPs, arguing their claimed merger with the lesser-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) is invalid under the anti-defection law.
Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar announced that 20 dissident Lok Sabha members from TMC have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and pledged support to the NDA under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The group expects its numbers to increase to 22 and clarified they have no connection with rebel TMC MLAs in West Bengal. Dastidar also highlighted the alleged non-implementation of central schemes in West Bengal by the previous TMC government.
In a bid to wrest control of the Trinamool Congress, its rebel faction led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee on Monday elected MLA Arup Roy as chairperson, marking the sharpest challenge yet to the authority of party founder Mamata Banerjee.
Speculation about a possible rapprochement or merger between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has exposed deep divisions within the Congress's West Bengal unit, with senior state leaders vocally opposing any alliance with Mamata Banerjee.
The Shiv Sena-UBT is facing a significant internal crisis, with reports suggesting that 'six to seven' of its nine Lok Sabha MPs are preparing to form a separate group. MP Arvind Sawant has formally requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla not to recognise any such breakaway faction, emphasising the primacy of the political party over its legislative wing.
Ideology is dead; long live the numbers game that is being played with the sole intention of securing a two-third majority in the Lok Sabha for the NDA, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing a deepening internal crisis marked by fresh resignations and an escalating rebellion, even as its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to discuss opposition coordination and the future of the INDIA bloc.
Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad has accused the BJP of orchestrating 'Operation Lotus' to induce defections from the Mamata Banerjee-led party, citing recent resignations and meetings of dissident MPs as evidence of an organised attempt to weaken the TMC.
A group of dissident Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs, led by Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, plans to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to seek recognition as the 'real TMC' parliamentary group, claiming the support of 19 members amidst an escalating internal party crisis.
BJP candidate Arun Lakhani, contesting the Maharashtra legislative council elections, addresses the unique situation of his son's marriage to Supriya Sule's daughter, emphasising the separation of politics and family ties.
Recent BJP organisational moves and Rajya Sabha nominations have sparked speculation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may soon undertake a ministerial reshuffle.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Kalyan Banerjee and Kirti Azad have launched a scathing attack on rebel party MPs, accusing them of lacking political morality, maintaining links with the BJP, and abandoning party workers amidst alleged harassment and political attacks.
Speculation is rife about a potential rebellion among MPs of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), with ruling Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik hinting at welcoming dissidents. Despite a Sena (UBT) MP meeting a rival minister and several skipping a party meeting, senior leaders Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai have dismissed the defection rumours, asserting the unity of their parliamentarians.
