Amid rumblings within the Trinamool Congress, a group of at least 20 Trinamool Congress MPs held a meeting at Union minister Bhupender Yadav's residence, to discuss a plan of switching sides to the BJP, according to reports.

Rebel MPs have gathered at an undisclosed location in New Delhi and discussed the possibility of forming a separate parliamentary bloc, or resigning from TMC altogether, sources said.

Those present at the meeting included Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, who resigned from the party and stepped down as a member of the Rajya Sabha on Monday, and Trinamool Lok Sabha MPs Prasun Banerjee, Sharmila Sarkar, Jagadish Chandra Basunia, Kalipada Saren Kherwal and Arup Chakraborty.

"Nearly 20 TMC MPs, including me, decided to lend support to BJP-led NDA," Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar told PTI.

Senior TMC MP Sougata Roy, however, sought to dismiss suggestions of a larger exodus.

"I have heard that some MPs held a separate meeting last night. Only they can say what conspired in the meeting. I was not contacted by them," he said.

Asked about reports of attempts by the BJP to reach out to TMC MPs, Roy said he had been contacted but had declined the offer.

"I told them I will remain with the TMC. At this age, it won't be possible for me to change camp," the 78-year-old four-term MP told PTI.

While no decision was taken, the very fact that such options were deliberated upon underscored the depth of discontent among a section of TMC parliamentarians.

"The meeting was essentially about the future course. Several MPs expressed concern that the leadership was unwilling to acknowledge the reasons behind the party's electoral setback," a TMC leader aware of the discussions said.

A photograph from the meeting surfaced on social media on Monday, showing several TMC Lok Sabha MPs seated around a table. PTI, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the photograph.

Sources claimed the actual attendance was significantly larger than what was visible in the photograph, with nearly 20 MPs participating in the discussions.

Speaking to the media, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray said he met Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan and submitted his resignation.

"I have conveyed my decision to resign from the party to Mamata Banerjee through WhatsApp and email," Ray said.

The developments follow 60 Trinamool MLAs forming a separate group in the West Bengal Assembly, with Ritabrata Banerjee assuming the charge of leader of opposition instead of Mamata Banerjee's nominee.

"Whatever happened in the Assembly, can anyone tell whether a similar situation would not unfold in the Rajya Sabha or the Lok Sabha?" Ray said.

Ray, however, said his resignation from the Rajya Sabha and the party was different from what happened in the state Assembly as the MLAs there have not resigned.

"There is no link between their step and mine. It is completely separate. I have resigned from the party, they have not. My tenure in the Rajya Sabha was to end in 2029 but I resigned as a matter of principle because it would have become difficult for me to continue," Ray said.

Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee and her nephew and party MP Abhishek Banerjee are presently attending an INDIA bloc meeting here that stressed unity within the alliance and called for the need to safeguard democratic values and address issues related to people's livelihood.

Other than the two Trinamool leaders, those present at the meeting included Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress, Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, Omar Abdullah of the National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP, besides Left leaders.

Political observers view the parliamentary meeting as the first visible indication that the unrest may no longer be confined to the state legislature.

Adding to the unease, veteran Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray resigned from both the TMC and Parliament earlier on Monday, citing corruption in governance and the organisation and alleging that public anger against the party had reached alarming levels.

Though Ray's resignation was not formally linked to Sunday's meeting, his presence at the gathering and subsequent exit have intensified speculation about the direction in which the dissident camp may be headed.

With murmurs of discontent growing among parliamentarians and informal consultations continuing in Delhi, the battle for control of the party's political narrative may increasingly shift from Kolkata to the national capital.