As the Trinamool Congress moves closer to a split each passing day, with several of its MPs and MLAs dissociating themselves from the party, TMC MP Mahu Moitra on Sunday lashed out at senior party leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay, saying his mask has come off.

Her comments come after indications that Bandyopadhyay, a six-time MP, may join the party rebels who plan to urge Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to recognise them as a separate bloc and allow them to sit alongside the NDA MPs in the House.

Taking to X, Moitra wrote: “His mask and his wig both come off.  @SudipBAITC (Bandopadhyay’s X handle) told us he was in Apollo Kolkata with a tummy bug when we suddenly saw him on TV in Delhi in Bhupinder Yadav’s home.” Asking him to change his X handle to match his alleged adherence to “BJP B team”, she said: “Dada pls change your X handle to @SudipBJPBTeam at least. Dont’ use our name.”

According to reports, Bandyopadhyay later also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. While Bandyopadhyay did not make any comments, and the details of his meeting with the BJP leadership were not immediately known, the signal from the rebel TMC camp was that they had managed to enlist his support. Bandyopadhyay’s wife Nayna Bandyopadhyay is a TMC MLA in Bengal.

The rebel camp on Friday claimed that they have the support of 19 MPs. This accounts for two-thirds of the party’s Lok Sabha strength of 28 members. If Bandyopadhyay, a former leader of the TMC parliamentary party in the Lower House, joins them, their number would rise to 20.

Shortly after news broke that Bandyopadhyay joined the rebel group, he was removed from his organisational position within the party. He previously served as the party president for the North Kolkata organisational district. Sougata Roy, who remains loyal to party supremo Mamata Banerjee, was appointed as an advisor to the TMC parliamentary party.