New Delhi [India], June 11 (ANI): Amid intensifying internal rift within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), a series of resignations and rebel assertions have fuelled uncertainty over the party's internal cohesion and possible merger.

Rebel TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee on Wednesday categorically rejected speculation of any merger between the dissident faction and the Congress, asserting that the ongoing developments remain strictly internal to the organisation.

'The count is currently 64 (MLAs). These people will come and submit a letter to the Speaker,' Banerjee told ANI, claiming that support for his faction has increased from 58 to 64 MLAs. He added that the group would soon formally approach the West Bengal Assembly Speaker to consolidate its position.

Dismissing merger speculation, he said, '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.' Banerjee further stressed that no section of the party--including MPs, municipal representatives, Zilla Parishad members, or Panchayat members--is moving towards any merger.

'Who is merging with whom? There is no question of a merger at all,' he asserted.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury distanced himself from speculation regarding any possible Congress-TMC merger, saying he was not aware of such discussions.

'I have no information about any merger or such things involving Bengal,' Chowdhury told ANI, adding that he remains 'in the dark' on the matter and will comment only if a formal decision is communicated.

In a significant development, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan accepted the resignation of MP Sushmita Dev, effective June 10. Dev had earlier quit the TMC, marking another high-profile exit amid ongoing internal unrest.

Following her resignation, Sushmita Dev said she intends to focus on working in Assam, sparking speculation of a possible political shift towards the BJP after she met Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi. However, she maintained that her decision was based on personal and political reasons and denied allegations of opportunism.

'I had political and personal reasons to do this. In an independent country, a politician can make any decision in their political life,' she said, while stating that she is currently unaffiliated with any party.

Adding to the political churn, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee met Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi at 10 Janpath in New Delhi on Wednesday. The meeting has drawn attention amid speculation over coordination within the INDIA bloc and growing internal strain within the TMC.

Further deepening the crisis, senior TMC leader Sukhendu Sekhar Ray resigned from the Rajya Sabha and the party's primary membership, criticising the party's performance in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections. He described the verdict as an outcome of '15 years of anarchical rule' by the Mamata Banerjee-led government.

In another sign of internal fragmentation, rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar confirmed that a group of 20 MPs has formally sought separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha, signalling an organisational split within the party's parliamentary ranks.

Meanwhile, reports of rebel TMC MPs meeting Union Minister Bhupender Yadav and BJP leaders in West Bengal have triggered speculation of a possible alignment with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, no official merger has been confirmed. Any such move would require compliance with the anti-defection law under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which mandates a two-thirds majority for recognition of a split. (ANI)