West Bengal minister and BJP MLA Tapas Roy on Tuesday claimed that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was heading towards a split similar to the political ruptures seen in Maharashtra, as speculation over unrest within the party continued to gather momentum.

Speaking to reporters outside the state assembly, Roy said growing dissatisfaction among TMC leaders and legislators was pushing the party towards fragmentation.

"There is growing dissatisfaction among many leaders and legislators. The developments indicate that the party is heading towards a split, a situation similar to what happened in Maharashtra," Roy said.

Roy was earlier with TMC, but he joined the BJP in 2024. "TMC will break..100%. It should break," he said.

Political speculation of TMC's split has intensified in the last two days. Around 60 of the TMC's 80 MLAs skipped a meeting called by party chief Mamata Banerjee on Sunday. The absences fuelled talk of growing dissent within the party after its recent electoral setback.

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TMC MLAs Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha reportedly met several legislators at the MLA Hostel in Kolkata on Tuesday. 

Reports also suggest that between 20 and 50 legislators could be in touch with the rebel camp. The TMC won 80 seats in the 294-member assembly in the recent election.

The TMC on Monday expelled Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha for alleged anti-party activities. In its communication to the two MLAs, the TMC said they had repeatedly failed to attend meetings convened by the party leadership and had involved themselves in activities contrary to the party's interests.

Ritabrata Banerjee, who is widely seen as a key figure among dissident legislators, has accused the party of drifting away from its original leadership. "The party has been hijacked by I-PAC and no longer belongs to Mamata Banerjee," he said outside the assembly, a remark that further fuelled speculation about a widening internal rift.

Senior TMC leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay has sought to dismiss the rumours, insisting that the majority of legislators remained loyal to Mamata Banerjee and that the party was united. He, however, said that efforts were being made to engineer defections and destabilise the opposition.

The political chatter gained further traction amid reports that Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was likely to travel to New Delhi later in the day.

Published on: Jun 2, 2026 5:13 PM IST