Amid the internal tussle in the Trinamool Congress, the rebel faction of around 20 TMC MPs has said that they will support the BJP-led NDA in the "national
interest". According to suspended TMC leader Riju Dutta, they are likely to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday. A meeting is also scheduled for Sunday and may be attended by West Bengal Chief Suvendu Adhikari. "Everyone knew this was coming; some people were questioning where the signatures or the lists were. Now that has come to light as well. As far as I know, these MPs are likely to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday, and a major meeting is scheduled for Sunday, which, according to my information, the Chief Minister of Bengal might also attend," he told ANI. "This rebel faction of TMC MPs, numbering around 20, has clearly stated that they will support the NDA for the national interest. So, it is a win-win situation for the BJP, they are gaining support without the MPs having to formally join the party," he added.
Rebels break away to form 'asli TMC'
Rebel MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia said the dissident camp submitted a representation to the Speaker and would formally stake its claim on Monday. He said the process to collect signatures began on June 8 and that 19 MPs had signed the representation.
"We have submitted the letter... On Monday, we will go to the Speaker and stake our claim to form the real TMC parliamentary group. We will ask the Speaker to give recognition to our claim," Basunia told PTI.
Sources said the timing of the meeting had not been finalised. The dissident camp are expected to reach Delhi ahead of Monday's meeting and hold consultations on their future course of action.
The turmoil in the TMC came days after its defeat in the assembly polls. Before the rift in the TMC Parliamentary party, a large section of MLAs had disagreed on Mamata Banerjee's choice of party's legislature office-bearers. They were later given recognition as "opposition" in the assembly.
Meanwhile, leaders aligned with Mamata Banerjee have asserted that the dissidents have no legal basis to stake claim. Party MP Mahua Moitra said the Constitution's 91st Amendment had removed provisions for a split and that lawmakers seeking to leave a party would have to merge with another political party.
(With agency inputs)
