Kolkata

Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee has firmly dismissed speculation that a minority grouping within the party could merge with the Congress amid growing reports of dissent within the ruling West Bengal outfit.

"We are not merging with the Congress," Banerjee said, rejecting rumours that surfaced after TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee met Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi last week, while TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee reportedly held a separate meeting with Rahul Gandhi.

The speculation gained momentum amid claims that a significant number of TMC Lok Sabha MPs could desert Mamata Banerjee and align with the Congress or the BJP.

Responding to reports that dissident MPs are preparing to approach Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Banerjee launched a sharp attack on the rebels.

"Let them do what they want. They will have to live under the shelter of the BJP. All this is a ploy. They cite the reason as development of their constituencies, but those who cannot even visit their constituencies, so what work will they do," he said.

Accusing the BJP of targeting the opposition in West Bengal, Banerjee alleged that democratic space in the state had shrunk.

"BJP is harassing us, the police are harassing us. No Opposition in West Bengal has ever faced such a thing as what we are facing. The 19 MPs who are going to BJP will not be accepted by the BJP," he added.

Earlier, TMC MP Kirti Azad had also dismissed reports of any merger between the TMC and the Congress, describing them as "incorrect". He maintained that both parties would continue working together within the INDIA bloc framework.

"There will be no merger; that is all incorrect news. The election will be contested as an alliance, and the alliance will remain intact," Azad said.

On June 11, Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal similarly rejected speculation over a possible merger, calling such reports "baseless rumours".

Clarifying the recent interactions between the two parties' top leaders, Venugopal said the meetings were part of routine consultations aimed at strengthening opposition unity.

"These are totally rumours. Yesterday, our communication secretary already stated that these are baseless things. Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee held routine discussions when they met Madam (Sonia Gandhi) and Rahul Gandhi. That's an extension of the INDIA Alliance discussion, because everybody wants to strengthen INDIA Alliance," he said.

"Everybody wants to strengthen the fight against this anti-democratic government. We will go together in that way; that is only the discussion point, nothing else," Venugopal added.

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For now, Mamata Banerjee appears to be keeping her options open, with political observers closely watching developments ahead of Monday, when rebel TMC MPs are expected to meet the Lok Sabha Speaker to formally submit their dissent.