Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing a major crisis after at least 14 lawmakers met in Delhi and discussed breaking away from the party. The rebel TMC parliamentarians, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, met at the house of Union minister Bhupender Yadav for two hours and later at the residence of four-time Birbhum MP Shatabdi Roy.
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who resigned from all TMC posts late last month, said the rebel group decided to support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and has the support of nearly 19 MPs. The rebels need at least 19 of the 28 Lok Sabha members of the TMC to escape anti-defection proceedings.
Ghosh Dastidar said things have been getting 'from bad to worse' in the TMC and dismissed questions on her loyalty towards Mamata Banerjee. She said she will not bow down, no matter what, and that her faction has 20 MPs, including her, who have requested the Speaker for separate seating.
The TMC delegation in the Bengal assembly has already suffered a split after 58 MLAs last week backed rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee, who staked claim to the Leader of the Opposition position in the state assembly. Mamata Banerjee is also facing fresh challenges in its urban political structure as uncertainty surrounds the future of senior leaders holding key mayoral positions.
