New Delhi

Former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale on Saturday claimed that rebel TMC MPs seeking recognition as a separate parliamentary group would face disqualification if they supported the BJP-led NDA, asserting that the anti-defection law provides no protection for a "split".

In a post on X, Gokhale accused the dissident MPs of attempting to transfer the mandate they received on a Trinamool Congress ticket to the BJP and said they had misunderstood the legal position.

"The TMC traitor MPs have been so excited by the crores given by the BJP that they haven't bothered to read the law," he wrote.

Referring to the 91st Constitutional Amendment, Gokhale said provisions recognising splits within political parties had been removed.

"The 'split' attempt is dead," he said, adding that forming a separate parliamentary group carries "zero protection under law".

He also dismissed speculation that the rebel MPs could legally merge with the BJP.

"A 'merger' needs the whole party to merge and not just the legislative party. They can merge only if the entire TMC merged with BJP -- not happening in our lifetimes," he said.

"Therefore, forget 20 MPs or two-thirds. Even if they had 25 out of 28 signatures, they can't 'merge' with BJP," Gokhale added.

The former Rajya Sabha member further argued that supporting the NDA or violating the party whip would amount to voluntarily giving up party membership under the anti-defection law.

"Backing the NDA equals defection. The moment the traitors support the BJP-led NDA or defy the party whip, they are considered to have 'voluntarily given up' their membership," he said.

"Anything they try to pull off -- disqualification awaits. We will not allow these traitors to cheat the people of Bengal and the party that gave them their MP seats," he added.

The remarks came amid escalating turmoil within the All India Trinamool Congress.

Dissident TMC MPs have announced that they will meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday to seek recognition as the "real TMC".

Rebel MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia claimed on Friday that 19 Lok Sabha members support the breakaway faction.

"We have submitted the letter. On Monday, we will go to the Speaker and stake our claim to form the real TMC parliamentary group. We will ask the Speaker to give recognition to our claim," Basunia told PTI Videos.

The TMC has been grappling with an internal crisis following its defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The unrest subsequently spread to Parliament, with rebel MPs claiming the backing of more than 20 Lok Sabha members.

READ MORE: BBC ranks Hafiz Ahmed's Bagurumba photo as second-best image of 2026

Adding to the party's troubles, Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Chik Baraik on Thursday became the third TMC parliamentarian this week to resign from both the party and the Upper House, following the exits of Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Sushmita Dev.