20 MPs Signal Support for NDA
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar
This is the gravest internal crisis that has ever occurring within the Trinamool Congress.
A rebel faction has claimming that they command the allegiance of almost 20 Lok Sabha MPs.
They have been heading by senior MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.
The MPs have written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
They have conveying their intention to ally themselves politically with the BJP-led NDA.
The incident occurring when TMC chief Mamata Banerjee was attending the INDIA bloc meet in New Delhi.
It comes after the exit of the senior leader, Sukhendu Shekhar Ray.
He had left the party as well as Rajya Sabha, shocking the TMC leadership.
Later, several MPs were seen meeting Union Minister Bhupender Yadav in Delhi.
Rumors said that more than a dozen MPs met him in a closed meeting.
Even the former Tripura CM Biplab Deb was present there.
A rebel MP, Sharmila Sarkar, has claimed that another parliamentary bloc has been formed.
They will extending their support for the NDA from the parliament.
It is understood that they want segregated sitting space in the Lok Sabha.
According to Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, such an initiative indicates the mandate from the people.
She stated that the way forward for them politically is with the NDA alliance.
The latest development comes after the TMC suffered defeat in the West Bengal assembly polls.
It had become a crisis long before in the party, even affecting the MLA ranks.
According to reports, as many as 20 out of the total 28 Lok Sabha MPs of the party would join the rebel team.
If true, then there might be a move to take shelter under the defection clause in the Constitution.
There have been questions raised regarding the claims by the rebels.
But it looks like the impact of the crisis will continue to grow.
The next few days would prove whether or not the rebellion turns into a formal breakaway.
This current crisis stands out as the biggest challenge to the leadership of Mamata Banerjee in ages.
