The rebel MPs have a petition pending before Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking formal recognition of their merger into NCPI, and are expecting a decision on it soon. One rebel MP said the merger petition remains with the Speaker and that they expect a resolution shortly.

The split traces back to TMC's defeat in this year's West Bengal Assembly elections in April, which triggered a major fracture within the party. Of TMC's 28 Lok Sabha MPs, 20 broke away from the leadership of Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, aligning instead with NCPI — an unrecognised political party registered in Howrah, West Bengal.

Rebel MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar attended Tuesday's meeting on the invitation of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. Opposition parties objected to their presence and staged a symbolic walkout, though they returned to the meeting a short while later.

If the Speaker grants recognition to the NCPI merger, it would mark the largest split in Trinamool Congress's history. In that scenario, these MPs would attend future NDA meetings specifically as NCPI representatives rather than as TMC dissidents. If the merger isn't approved, they would continue participating in such meetings as rebel TMC MPs instead.

The stakes extend beyond formal recognition. Whichever way the Speaker rules, the outcome is likely to deepen the political crisis already underway within Trinamool Congress and shift the balance of political equations between the treasury and opposition benches during the current Parliament session. Separately, of TMC's 80 MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly, 64 have also revolted, forming a distinct faction under the leadership of Ritabrata Banerjee.

Abhishek Banerjee has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla demanding action against the 20 rebel MPs, according to related reporting — a sign the parliamentary fight over recognition is set to continue alongside the broader organisational battle playing out within the party.