Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress is facing a severe crisis in West Bengal, with at least 20 MPs planning to defect from the party and join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The move comes after a series of setbacks for the TMC, including a crushing defeat in the recent state assembly polls and the resignation of several key leaders.
The rebels, led by Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, met with BJP leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, to discuss their plans. Ghosh claimed that around 20 TMC MPs, including herself, have decided to break away from the party to support the NDA.
However, the rebels need to reach the magic number of 19 MPs to defect together and gain protection under the anti-defection law. If they succeed, it would leave TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee in a crisis worse than ever since she became West Bengal Chief Minister in 2011.
Mamata is scrambling for support wherever she can find it and is currently banking on the INDIA bloc. She met with Congress' parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday evening, but it remains to be seen if her efforts will be enough to save her party.
