Hours after a dissent letter with signatures of 19 ‘rebel’ Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs that was written to Lok Sabha Speaker surfaced in public, one of the
signatories, Jagadish Barma Basunia, said that more MPs might follow as Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee don’t listen to anyone. Jagadish Barma Basunia, who is among the TMC breakaway MPs that sent their names to the Lok Sabha Speaker’s Office on May 18, said, "The number could be higher. 19 people have done this, and more might follow. The issue lies in the way the TMC operates. Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee, and other party leaders or public representatives don't listen to anyone. In the recent Assembly elections, where the party lost, the process of selecting candidates should have involved consulting MPs, local leaders, or senior leaders. Our party leadership didn't consult anyone. They, along with I-PAC, selected the candidates themselves... Since there is no willingness within the party to speak up or listen to others, we have decided to align ourselves with development and with Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia is currently a TMC leader and Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Cooch Behar (SC) Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal.
Mamata Banerjee, ever since TMC’s drubbing in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections, has been losing her grip on the party — both Parliamentary and Legislative. Nearly 19-20 MPs have dissented against her, raising questions about the party’s functioning with an aim at her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, while nearly 58-60 MLAs have already opened another front where the ‘rebel’ legislatures have elected Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of Opposition, defying the party’s official call which appointed Ballygunge MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as LoP.
The 19 breakaway MPs include: Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, Bapi Haldar, Dr. Sharmila Sarkar, Prasun Bandyopadhyay, Jagadish Barma Basunia, Asit Kumar Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Rachna Banerjee, Saayoni Ghosh, Khalilur Rahaman, Abu Taher Khan, Yusuf Pathan, Mitali Bag, Mala Roy, Kalipada Soren, Deepak Adhikari, June Malia, and Partha Bhowmick.
Rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar confirmed that a group of 20 MPs has formally sought separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha, signaling an organisational split within the party's parliamentary ranks.
These recent developments amid growing internal tensions within the TMC following the party's underwhelming performance in Bengal elections have reportedly led to a widening rift between the party veterans and the central leadership headed by Mamata Banerjee.
Dissent Spreads Across All — MLAs, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha MPs
The TMC’s inner revolt has also spread to its Rajya Sabha MPs, with three lawmakers having already resigned from their respective seats. On Thursday, TMC MP Prakash Chik Baraik, representing West Bengal in the Rajya Sabha, resigned from the Upper House.
This was the third such resignation within a week. On June 10, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sushmita Dev resigned as a member of the Upper House. On June 8, Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray resigned as a member of the Upper House of Parliament and from the primary membership of the TMC.
Soon after resigning as a member of the Rajya Sabha amid the turmoil within Trinamool Congress, former TMC MP Prakash Chik Baraik said that he had "accepted the opinion of the people" of West Bengal and then took the decision to resign from the Upper House.
As TMC Deals Inner Revolt, Speculations Surface on Possible Merger With Congress
As Trinamool’s in-fighting implodes in public, speculations have been circulating that the party might merge with the Congress.
However, rebel TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee categorically rejected speculation of any merger between the dissident faction and the Congress, asserting that the ongoing developments remain strictly internal to the organisation.
Banerjee, who was recently recognised as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) by the West Bengal Assembly Speaker, claimed that his camp now commands the support of 64 MLAs, an increase from the 58 who initially signed the letter of support. He asserted that these legislators are preparing to formally submit a letter to the Speaker to solidify their position.
Meanwhile, reports of rebel TMC MPs meeting Union Minister Bhupender Yadav and BJP leaders in West Bengal have triggered speculation of a possible alignment with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
However, no official merger has been confirmed. Any such move would require compliance with the anti-defection law under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which mandates a two-thirds majority for recognition of a split.
With inputs from ANI, PTI
