Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee's troubles protract to mount. Following the rebellion by MLAs, a large number of MPs have now moreover turned dissident. A list of 19 such MPs has surfaced, including actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan. Reports indicate that these MPs have submitted a signed letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker. However, there has been no official confirmation or detailed response from the party regarding this matter so far.
The emergence of this list has sparked intense speculation within West Bengal politics. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has a total of 28 MPs in the Lok Sabha; therefore, if the claims regarding the 19 dissident MPs prove true, it would be considered a major political setback for the TMC. All vision are currently stock-still on the stance the party leadership takes regarding these developments and how the MPs named in the list publicly respond.
Who Are the TMC MPs Who Have Turned Dissident?
According to sources, the dissident MPs have decided versus resigning from the TMC or formally joining the BJP for the time being. Instead, they plan to operate as a separate faction supporting the NDA. Experts suggest this move is intended to stave disqualification under the anti-defection law. The dissident MPs have once informed Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla of their intention to form a separate parliamentary faction led by Kakoli Ghosh.
Sources remoter indicated that the dissident faction might oppose surpassing the Speaker that Kakoli Ghosh is the TMC's Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha. This requirement could wilt the inside point of a legal and procedural wrestle within Parliament. These TMC MPs remain with Mamata Banerjee:
- Mahua Moitra (Krishnanagar)
- Saugata Roy (Dum Dum)
- Pratima Mondal (Jaynagar)
- Abhishek Banerjee (Diamond Harbour)
- Sudip Bandyopadhyay (Kolkata North)
- Prasun Banerjee (Howrah)
- Sajda Ahmed (Uluberia)
- Kalyan Banerjee (Serampore)
- Kirti Azad (Bardhaman-Durgapur)
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It is worth noting that the rebellion which began in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly now appears to be transforming into a wrestle over the party's very existence and leadership. On one hand, Mamata Banerjee's faction is exploring political alternatives in Delhi, while on the other, the rebel zany is striving to establish itself as the "real" TMC by leveraging the support of the majority of the organization, MLAs, and MPs. Consequently, the 28-year-old Trinamool Congress appears to be facing its greatest political slipperiness to date.
Resignation of Rajya Sabha MPs as well?
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev resigned from both the party and her parliamentary membership on Wednesday. According to a notification issued by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, the resignation of Sushmita Dev—a Rajya Sabha MP from West Bengal—has been accepted. Dev attributed her visualization to a combination of personal and political reasons. Sources requirement that she may join the BJP. Prior to this, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, the senior-most TMC Rajya Sabha MP, had moreover resigned from his parliamentary and party memberships.
What did rebel TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee say?
Meanwhile, Ritabrata Banerjee—a leader of the rebel faction and the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly—has personal that the group led by him now has the support of 64 MLAs. He stated that this number could rise further, asserting that his faction represents the "real" Trinamool Congress, not the one led by Mamata Banerjee. He said, "We have no intention of merging with the Congress. The number of MLAs with us has reached 64, and this icon could increase soon."
