TMC-Congress merger talks ‘baseless’, says Mamata's party; but Bengal Cong chief says doors open for anyone who...

Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, which is reeling under a crisis following massive rebellion within the party, on Wednesday dismissed speculations about a merger with the Congress as "baseless."

TMC sources told the Hindustan Times, "Congress-TMC merger talks are baseless," but "both parties keep doors open for possible alliance."

The rebel TMC group also dismissed rumours of a potential merger between the dissident faction, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, and the Congress.

"Regarding a merger, as for our legislative party, we are certainly not joining the Congress. The MPs in Parliament, more than two-thirds of them, are not merging with the Congress either," said Ritabrata Banerjee, who was recently recognised as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) by the West Bengal Assembly Speaker.

What have Congress leaders said? ‘Anything can happen'

Earlier, on the possibility of the mergers between the INDIA bloc allies, West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar said, "Politics is the art of possibilities. So, anything can happen tomorrow..."

"Our leader, the nation's leader, Rahul Gandhi, has been fighting relentlessly against the RSS ideology and the BJP's dictatorship. He has never compromised. He has been subjected to so much oppression. We want Rahul Gandhi to be the voice of the downtrodden, for the suffering people. He should be the Prime Minister. And our doors are open for anyone who accepts this...," he told ANI.

However, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury categorically distanced himself from the ongoing rumours regarding a potential merger between the Congress and the TMC.

Chowdhury told ANI that he has no information on any such discussions and remains entirely "in the dark."

"I have no information about any merger or such things involving Bengal," he said. "If a formal decision is reached, we will certainly be taken into confidence. If I am asked about it, then I will speak, but right now, I know absolutely nothing," he added.

On Wednesday, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee met the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi at 10 Janpath in the national capital.

TMC and Congress: Friends or foes?

The TMC and the Congress, which are part of the Opposition's INDIA bloc, contested the West Bengal elections 2026 separately. The two political parties have shown bonhomie at the national level, but remain rivals in the state.

A month after facing defeat in the state elections, Mamata Banerjee attended the INDIA bloc meeting on June 8, where she met Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. A picture of Mamata Banerjee and Sonia Gandhi hugging at the meeting soon went viral.

At the meeting on Monday, Mamata Banerjee was seen seated to the right of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Rahul Gandhi sat to the left of Kharge, the convener of the INDIA bloc.

This came at a time when Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is facing one of the major internal crises in the party's recent times. Reports reflect rowing dissent in both the West Bengal Assembly and Parliament.

On Wednesday, West Bengal's Leader of the Oppsoition and expelled TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee said 64 MLAs “will come and submit a letter to the Speaker.”

On June 8, Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray resigned as a member of the Upper House of Parliament and from the primary membership of the TMC. In another setback to the TMC, Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev resigned from the party and as a member of the Upper House on Wednesday.

Following her resignation from TMC and Rajya Sabha, Sushmita Dev on Wednesday said that she wants to work in Assam now. Adding to the TMC's troubles, Sushmita Dev had resigned from the party and is speculated to join the BJP, ANI reported. She met Assam Chief Minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma in the national capital.

Meanwhile, in the Lok Sabha, rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claimed earlier that a faction of 20 MPs had formally requested the Lok Sabha Speaker for separate seating arrangements.

She said, "We are 20 MPs who have requested the Speaker for separate seating, and we will be working in conjunction with the Central and State Government for the development of West Bengal".

Rebel MPs meeting Union Minister and BJP West Bengal election in-charge Bhupender Yadav and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has sparked speculation of the faction merging with the NDA.

As per the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, also known as the anti-defection law, the rebel MPs would require a merger with 2/3rd majority to avoid disqualification.

(With inputs from agencies)