The rebellion within the Trinamool Congress led by MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar escalated after the dissident camp claimed the support of more than two-thirds of the party’s Lok Sabha MPs and announced plans to merge with the Tripura-based Nationalist Citizens Party. The development came after rebel MPs met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking separate recognition in the House, a move strongly opposed by the TMC leadership.
Rebels Stake Claim
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claimed that 20 MPs elected on the party’s symbol had joined the dissident camp, giving it more than two-thirds of the TMC’s strength in the Lok Sabha.
She further announced that the group would merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party and said its members would work for the nation while extending support to the NDA under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The claim, if upheld, could have significant implications for the ongoing dispute over parliamentary recognition and the applicability of anti-defection provisions.
TMC Objects
The TMC leadership has strongly opposed any attempt to carve out a separate faction within the party.
In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, TMC Parliamentary Party Leader and National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee requested that any communication seeking recognition of a separate TMC faction be rejected.
Banerjee maintained that the All India Trinamool Congress remains a single and indivisible political party represented only through its authorised leadership in the House. He also sought an opportunity for the party to present its case before any decision is taken on such requests.
The letter further stated that the party reserves its right to initiate proceedings under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution against any conduct that may violate anti-defection provisions.
Also Read: Can TMC Disqualify Rebel MPs? What India’s Anti-Defection Law Says
Battle Heads To Speaker
With the rebel camp seeking separate recognition and the party leadership opposing the move, the matter is now likely to centre on the Speaker’s office. The developments have also brought renewed attention to the anti-defection law, under which disputes over breakaway groups and party allegiance are ultimately adjudicated.
Also Read: Abhishek Banerjee Writes To Om Birla, Opposes Recognition Of Any Separate TMC Faction
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