Shatabdi Roy, the four-time Birbhum MP and well-known Bengali film actor, has emerged at the center of a growing political storm inside the Trinamool Congress. Her recent movements with senior party leader Sudeep Banerjee, including a trip to Delhi and meetings linked to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, have intensified speculation that she is playing a key role in the reported rebellion within the party’s parliamentary ranks.
The controversy comes after Trinamool’s poor performance in the recent West Bengal Assembly election, which appears to have triggered deep internal resentment among several MPs. Over the past few weeks, a bloc of dissatisfied lawmakers has been taking shape, with some openly distancing themselves from the party leadership. A document signed by 19 rebel MPs surfaced on June 12, with Shatabdi Roy’s name appearing second on the list. According to reports, two more MPs later signed separately, suggesting the group may now be larger than first believed.
On June 13, Shatabdi Roy and Sudeep Banerjee traveled to Delhi on the same flight and were seen heading together to Bhupender Yadav’s residence. The pair then moved on to another official venue where a meeting reportedly took place. Political observers say the fact that Roy remained close to Sudeep throughout the visit is significant, especially because he is one of Trinamool’s most experienced parliamentarians and could be seen as an important figure for any internal regrouping.
Roy has not openly aligned herself with direct attacks on Mamata Banerjee or Abhishek Banerjee, but her recent comments have clearly signaled dissatisfaction. Before leaving Kolkata, she said the public did not approve of Abhishek Banerjee’s lifestyle and praised the BJP-led administration in West Bengal. She also argued that people from the film industry should be given responsibility for reviving the state’s cinema sector, something she claimed Trinamool had failed to do over the past 15 years.
Her political journey has long been different from many other celebrity entrants into politics. Elected from Birbhum for the first time in 2009, she won again in 2014, 2019, and 2024 despite changing political winds. Her relationship with the party has often been uneasy, especially over the role of former Birbhum strongman Anubrata Mondal. Roy has publicly criticized his conduct in the past and has gradually distanced herself from him.
The report also notes that Trinamool’s rebel MPs may soon formalize their next step by writing to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. With questions growing about whether more MPs will join the dissident camp, the party faces an increasingly visible internal fracture. Roy’s Delhi trip with Sudeep Banerjee has therefore become a powerful symbol of the uncertainty now surrounding Trinamool’s parliamentary unity.
