TMC Faces Internal Turmoil as Rebel MPs Prepare to Split
TMC's Political Crisis Reaches New Heights
Following a significant defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, the turmoil within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has escalated to the corridors of power in Delhi. Party leader Mamata Banerjee is experiencing one of the most severe setbacks in her political career, as 22 out of the 28 TMC MPs in the Lok Sabha are reportedly on the verge of rebellion. These dissenting MPs are gearing up to break away from the TMC and form a separate faction in Parliament.
Rebel MPs to Meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a senior MP leading the rebel faction, made a significant announcement while speaking to the media at Kolkata Airport. Initially, she mentioned that 20 MPs were with her, but now two additional MPs have joined, bringing the total to 22. Dastidar revealed that this group plans to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in Delhi on Monday, seeking recognition as a distinct parliamentary group called 'Original Trinamool Congress.'
Letter Signed by 19 MPs Surfaces
Earlier, a document surfaced bearing the signatures of 19 TMC MPs. This list includes notable names such as Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, Bapi Halder, Sharmila Tagore, Prasun Banerjee, Jagdish Chandra Burman Basunia, Asit Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Kalipada Soren, and superstar Deepak Adhikari (Dev), among others. Additionally, Rachna Banerjee and Sayani Ghosh have also signed separately. All these MPs have written to the Speaker requesting arrangements for them to sit separately under Dastidar's leadership.
Rebels Prepare to Support NDA Government
This rebellion is not merely an internal party dispute; the rebel faction has made it clear that they intend to fully support the NDA government led by the BJP as soon as they receive recognition as a separate group. Amidst this significant upheaval, a crucial meeting of the rebel MPs, initially scheduled to take place in Kolkata, has now been moved to Delhi. There were discussions about West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari attending the meeting, but his participation now seems unlikely due to other official commitments.
Key Leaders Remain Loyal to Mamata Banerjee
Despite the major split within the TMC, several prominent and loyal figures continue to stand by Mamata Banerjee. Notably, the letter from the rebel faction does not include signatures from Abhishek Banerjee, Kalyan Banerjee, Sougata Roy, Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad, Shatrughan Sinha, Pratima Mandal, and Sajda Ahmed, indicating that these leaders are not part of the rebellion at this time.
Speculations Rise After Sudip Bandopadhyay's Meeting
Amidst this political crisis, another significant development occurred when Sudip Bandopadhyay, one of TMC's senior MPs, met with Union Minister Bhupender Yadav in Delhi on Saturday. This meeting has sparked speculation in political circles about whether Bandopadhyay might also join the rebel faction. The ongoing turmoil within the TMC has created a stir in the national political landscape.