• Source:JND

TMC Crisis: Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) has been going through turbulence ever since it lost power to the Bharatiya Janata Party in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections. For the first time in 28 years, the TMC faces the threat of a split. In fact, it appears that Mamata may lose ownership of his party as the maximum number of MLAs and MPs revolted against her.

After a split between its MLAs, the TMC appeared headed for an implosion in Parliament, with a group of MPs claiming majority support deciding to ditch Mamata.

ALSO READ: TMC Now Has Three Camps: How Kakoli Ghosh-Led 20 MPs' Block Will Change Lok Sabha Game | Explained

Number Game In TMC

  • Lok Sabha: 28 MPs (20 Rebels)
  • Rajya Sabha: 13 MPs (1 Rebel resigns)
  • Bengal Assembly: 80 MLAs (58 Rebels)

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20 Rebel MPs Back NDA

In a dramatic turn of events, the group of rebel TMC MPs backed the BJP-led NDA at the Centre on Monday. On a day when TMC chief Mamata and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee attended the INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi, Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who is at the forefront of the rebel faction, announced that the rebel camp with 20 MPs had decided to write to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla declaring support for the NDA. Later, a letter bearing the signatures of 20 MPs was sent to the Speaker.

Mamata Camp's Stand On Rebel MPs

On the other hand, a TMC leader said the party had communicated its decision to remove Kakoli as chief whip and appoint Kalyan Banerjee to the Lok Sabha Secretariat through an official letter dated May 20, signed by TMC Parliamentary Party Chairperson Mamata. A copy of the letter shared by party sources showed a stamp of receipt from the speaker's office dated May 29. The leader said Mamata's appointment as chief whip had been communicated to the speaker last month. Now, all eyes are on the Speaker, who has not yet reacted to the development.

ALSO READ: Kolkata Gone, Delhi Slipping: Mamata's TMC Falls Apart As 20 Lok Sabha MPs Seek To Join NDA After Revolt By MLAs

TMC's Tally In Lok Sabha And Anti-Defection Law

The TMC currently has 28 Lok Sabha MPs, with one vacancy following the death of Basirhat MP Haji Nurul Islam. The support of 20 MPs would comfortably cross the two-thirds threshold needed to thwart the invocation of the Anti-Defection Law, which states that a group defection is legally considered a "merger" and escapes disqualification if at least two-thirds of the legislators in the original party agree to join or form another political party.

Who Are Rebel MPs?

The group of dissident MPs held a meeting at BJP leader Bhupender Yadav's residence in Delhi, PTI reported, quoting the sources. A photograph purportedly from the meeting circulating online showed Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray, along with MPs Abu Taher, Asit Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Kalipada Soren, Jagadish Basunia, Prasun Banerjee, Sharmila Sarkar, and Satabdi Roy. Sources also said around 20 MPs attended an informal gathering at an undisclosed location in the national capital late Sunday night.

What Law Says On The 'Who Is The Real Party' Question

The ownership dispute goes to the Election Commission of India. The ECI determines which faction is the real party by evaluating three factors: the party constitution, organisational majority, and legislative majority. Such matter useally ends up at the Supreme Court. A few years ago, the top court resolved Sharad Pawar's NCP and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena issues.

Rebel Camp's LoP In Bengal Assembly

The development comes barely days after the TMC leadership suffered a setback in the West Bengal Assembly, where 58 of its 80 MLAs defied the Mamata's decision to appoint veteran leader Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as the leader of the Opposition and elected expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee to that post.

TMC Crisis Reaches Calcutta High Court

Meanwhile, the Mamata camp on Monday moved the Calcutta High Court, challenging the Bengal Assembly Speaker's decision to recognise Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of the opposition. Seeking an urgent hearing, the TMC's lawyer stated before the court that the first session of the 18th West Bengal Assembly is scheduled to begin on June 18. Justice Krishna Rao, before whom the matter was mentioned on grounds of urgency, directed that the petition be taken up for hearing at the top of the list on June 11.

(With PTI Inputs)


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