Mahua Moitra, a prominent MP from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), has stated that the party's rebel MPs face limited options, primarily merging with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In a post on X, she emphasized that even if the dissidents manage to gather 19 MPs, they cannot form a separate faction. Moitra referenced a Supreme Court ruling from the Subhash Desai case, which clarified that governors cannot use internal party rebellions to call for floor tests or determine which faction is the 'real' party. The ruling reinforced that the political party remains the central unit under anti-defection laws. Currently, there are rumors of a breakaway faction within the TMC, with some MPs indicating a desire to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). TMC leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar submitted signatures from 20 MPs expressing this interest. However, to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law, the rebel group would need to demonstrate support from at least two-thirds of TMC's Lok Sabha members, which translates to 19 MPs. If they fail to meet this requirement, they could face legal challenges.