The move follows a claim by the rebel MPs that they have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and should be recognised as a separate group in the House.

Rebel Ritabrata Banerjee To Debut As Bengal Leader Of Opposition In Blow To Mamata Banerjee

The Trinamool has been roiled by infighting since losing the April-May election to the BJP. Mamata Banerjee's party - undefeated for 15 years - was thumped, winning only 80 seats as the BJP crossed 200 in the 294-seat Assembly.

The dramatic collapse of the Trinamool in West Bengal following the poll defeat has reignited a debate - was the party's collapse inevitable because it never possessed a coherent ideological foundation of its own?

Trinamool's turmoil is a warning to regional parties that legacy can open the door, but only legitimacy keeps the house from breaking.

A man, who was later identified as Chandan, allegedly threw an egg at Ghosh from close range. Though Ghosh tried to duck, the egg hit his head and broke on impact, onlookers said.

The merger has also provided them time to regroup and whip up an intricate plan to wrest from Banerjee the last vestige of the party she had founded in 1998.

"When you leave with two-thirds of the party, you cannot demand the name of that party on the first day... In July, we will make a demand to give us the Trinamool (name)," Sudip Bandopadhyay said.

The Trinamool Congress, which had a massive strength of 215 MLAs until early May, has shrunk to just 20 MLAs within 40 days of the results

"They (the rebels) had contested the election under the Trinamool symbol, saying they want to strengthen the party under Mamata Banerjee's leadership. Now they have moved away from the promise. That's deceit," Madan Mitra said.

Sudip Bandyopadhyay has made up his mind to move to the rebel camp of Lok Sabha MPs, the sources said.

The rebel camp is led by MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, long seen as a confidant of Mamata Banerjee.

Mamata Banerjee replaces Trinamool youth and women wing presidents amid rising internal dissent.

The developments have triggered fresh political speculation amid ongoing turmoil within the Trinamool Congress.

Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee's ultimatum directed at Mamata Banerjee came after her nephew Abhishek Banerjee changed his lawyer in a signature forgery case

Abhishek Banerjee is 38 years old. He entered politics at 25 and received exposure that few regional leaders of his generation got

Sources said the midnight raid by police at Abhishek Banerjee's Kolkata home was to nab his personal secretary Sumit Roy

A police case has been filed against Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata for allegedly making communal remarks while campaigning for the assembly election

The Trinamool exodus is no ordinary wave of opportunism. It reflects the deep-seated political culture of West Bengal, where power has historically concentrated in one party.

The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool is facing an existential crisis and it shows no signs of abating.

Nana Patole has said that the "like-minded parties" are preparing to merge with the Congress

NDTV Accesses Letter Signed By Trinamool Rebels, Saayoni Ghosh, Yusuf Pathan Among Signatories Against Mamata Banerjee

Mani Shankar Aiyar said that Mamata Banerjee appears poised to walk alone, which can benefit the opposition's INDIA alliance.

Prakash Chik Baraik said he owes his decision to exit from parliament and the Trinamool Congress to the mandate that the people have given in the recent election