On a day when TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee were present at the INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi, Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, leading the rebel group, announced that they would write to Speaker Om Birla, expressing support for the NDA.
Ghosh Dastidar reported that 20 MPs from the party have resolved to inform the speaker.
“Nearly twenty TMC MPs, myself included, have decided to send a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, formally backing the NDA,” she stated to PTI.
“We have acknowledged the people’s choice and believe our future political direction should align with the NDA,” Ghosh Dastidar added.
Sources indicated that the dissident MPs plan to argue before the speaker that Ghosh Dastidar remains the chief whip of the party in the Lok Sabha.
However, a TMC leader mentioned that the party had officially communicated its decision to remove her as chief whip and appoint Kalyan Banerjee to the Lok Sabha Secretariat in a letter dated May 20, signed by TMC Parliamentary Party Chairperson Mamata Banerjee.
A copy of the letter shared by party sources bore a receipt stamp from the speaker’s office dated May 29.
This perspective was echoed by party MP Kirti Azad, who confirmed that Banerjee’s appointment as chief whip had been communicated to the speaker last month.
“The question is how long the BJP will continue deceiving the people?” he remarked.
According to sources, the rebel MPs have opted not to resign from the TMC or join the BJP immediately but will operate as a distinct bloc supporting the NDA, a strategy intended to avoid repercussions from the anti-defection law.
The political arithmetic is significant.
The TMC currently holds 28 Lok Sabha seats, with one vacancy due to the death of Basirhat MP Haji Nurul Islam. The backing of 20 MPs would easily surpass the two-thirds threshold required to counteract the anti-defection law.
Nevertheless, the TMC leader emphasized that even achieving that number would not guarantee the rebel faction’s ability to function as an independent parliamentary group.
“According to the law, even if two-thirds of MPs wish to leave a party, their only option is to merge with another political party. There is no provision for a separate group,” the leader pointed out.
The leader also questioned the ethics surrounding any attempt by dissidents to remain as MPs while supporting the BJP-led NDA.
“All these MPs were elected on a TMC ticket, so they should follow Sukhendu’s lead — resign instead of supporting BJP through backdoor means. If they want to fight the BJP, they should do so now,” the leader remarked.
“They were all elected under the TMC symbol, opposing BJP policies. None can create another bloc even if they command two-thirds. It is a legislative party, not a political party. Lawyers have advised us that their case is weak. It is illegal, unconstitutional, and unethical,” the individual asserted.
A group of dissenting MPs reportedly convened at BJP leader Bhupender Yadav’s residence in Delhi, as per a source.
A photo circulating online from the meeting purportedly showed Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray alongside MPs Abu Taher, Asit Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Kalipada Soren, Jagadish Basunia, Prasun Banerjee, Sharmila Sarkar, and Satabdi Roy.
Additionally, sources revealed that around 20 MPs gathered informally at an undisclosed location in the national capital late Sunday night.
During this meeting, the MPs reportedly deliberated possible actions and expressed dissatisfaction with the current party leadership structure in Parliament.
Meanwhile, TMC MP Sougata Roy dismissed rumors of an exodus.
“I have heard that some MPs held a separate meeting last night. Only they know what happened there. They did not reach out to me,” he stated.
When asked about reports of the BJP seeking to engage TMC MPs, Roy mentioned that he had been approached but declined the offer.
“I informed them that I will remain with the TMC. At my age, switching sides isn’t feasible,” the 78-year-old four-term MP told PTI.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra launched a strong critique of the dissident group.
In a post on X, Moitra stated that MPs were elected in 2024 under a TMC mandate, not in support of the NDA.
“MPs won in 2024 on a TMC ticket. The mandate was NOT for the NDA. All the self-serving traitors with yellow-stained pants can join the BJP now — resign your seats & run on a BJP ticket. We’ll see how brave you truly are,” she wrote.
The lawmaker specifically addressed MP Yusuf Pathan.
“And @iamyusufpathan, are you rushing to Delhi because @AmitShah has summoned you? Show some courage. You played for India. Our district voted you in with a significant margin. Have some shame and backbone,” she wrote.
Ray, who was at the meeting hosted by Yadav, has resigned from the Rajya Sabha and his primary membership in the party, accusing the TMC of “15 years of chaotic governance” before the BJP took control in the state.
Also Read | TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray resigns from party, steps down as Rajya Sabha member
His resignation has been accepted by RS Chairman C P Radhakrishnan.
“I have met the Rajya Sabha chairman and submitted my resignation. I conveyed my decision to resign from the party via WhatsApp and email to Mamata Banerjee,” Ray informed reporters.
“I was set to serve until 2029 in the Rajya Sabha, but I chose to resign from the party, as continuing would prove challenging,” he said.
Rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee, currently leading the breakaway faction in the West Bengal Assembly, characterized Ray’s resignation as indicative of increasing dissent within the party, suggesting that more parliamentarians might distance themselves from the TMC in the near future.
This development follows a recent setback for TMC leadership in the West Bengal Assembly, where 58 of its 80 MLAs defied the party’s high command’s choice to appoint veteran leader Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as the leader of the Opposition, opting instead to elect expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee for that position.
The turmoil affecting the TMC since its electoral defeat has seemingly softened party supremo Mamata Banerjee, who approached the INDIA bloc meeting with a conciliatory attitude to devise a unified strategy against the BJP.
