West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. File. | Photo Credit: ANI Asserting that 64 legislators elected on Trinamool Congress tickets would back him in case of a trust vote, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday (October 21, 2026) claimed that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would secure the support of 275 MLAs in the 294-member West Bengal Legislative Assembly if a floor test were to be conducted.“If you have a floor test in the Assembly tomorrow, we will get the support of 275 MLAs.

Among them [the MLAs of Trinamool Congress] 64 are ready to raise their hands in our support,” the Chief Minister said, speaking to media persons.The BJP has 209 MLAs in the State Assembly, after the West Bengal Assembly elections held earlier this year. Of the 80 MLAs of Trinamool Congress who had won, about 65 MLAs supported Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of Opposition and parted ways with Mamata Banerjee.The remarks by the Chief Minister, that rebel Trinamool MLAs who now are called Democratic Trinamool Congress, will support him evoked strong reaction from the Opposition parties including Mamata Banerjee loyalists.

Ms. Banerjee and her loyalists have alleged that the BJP was behind engineering defections in her party.Kunal Ghosh, spokesperson of Mamata All India Trinamool Congress said that the remarks by the Chief Minister prove that the Ritabrata Banerjee loyalists are “nothing but agents of the BJP”.

CPI(M) leader Shatarup Ghosh said that Mr. Adhikari’s remarks should be brought to the notice of courts to remove Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition.

Akhruzzaman, the Opposition Chief Whip and member of the rebel faction said that the policy of the party was to keep equal distance from all the parties including the BJP.While the rebellion in the State Assembly has resulted in Mamata Banerjee losing control over her party name and symbol, 20 Lok Sabha MPs of her party have merged with Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The The NCPI has requested a two-week extension until November 3, 2026, from Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to respond to disqualification petition filed by Mamata Banerjee led faction.

Published - October 22, 2026 12:22 am IST