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Internal strife within the Trinamool Congress escalates as MLAs and MPs abandon Mamata Banerjee in the wake of her defeat in the Assembly elections. Who are deserting the mothership? Who are sticking by the embattled ex-CM? Here's what we know
June Malia (right) has already deserted the Mamata camp. Will Saayoni Ghosh (left) follow suit?(PTI)Internal strife within the Trinamool Congress continues to make new revelations everyday as their MPs and MLAs keep deserting supermo Mamata Banerjee and second-in-command Abhishek after the party's rout in the Assembly Elections that saw the BJP come to power for the first time in West Bengal with a thumping majority.
58-60 MLAs out of their 80 in the West Bengal Assembly have already announced that they have chosen Ritabrata Banerjee as their leader in the House, going against the decision made by Mamata-Abhishek, who had chosen party veteran Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as the LoP. The West Bengal Assembly Speaker has also granted this group the official status of the Opposition in the House and freed up the office of the LoP for Ritabrata.
After their MLAs abandoned ship, now the TMC is facing a similar situation in New Delhi as well, as around 19 MPs (out of their 29) have decided to break away from the TMC and support the NDA. A meeting was held on Tuesday between 13 TMC MPs (led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar) and Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari in New Delhi.
Quick answers to key questions
The split within the TMC is primarily due to internal strife following a significant electoral defeat, leading many MPs and MLAs to abandon Mamata Banerjee's leadership and align with rebel factions.
Some TMC members are supporting the NDA as they believe it aligns better with their political future following the party's recent electoral failure and ongoing internal conflicts.
Approximately 58-60 out of 80 MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly have declared their support for Ritabrata Banerjee's faction, opposing the official leadership of Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee.
While there are speculations about a potential merger with Congress, TMC leaders have publicly dismissed such talks, stating they prefer to remain independent and assert their identity.
The TMC split creates a significant realignment in West Bengal politics, as it divides the opposition against the BJP and may affect future electoral strategies and alliances.
On Monday, Ghosh Dastidar told PTI that she, along with 19 other TMC MPs, have decided to break away from the party and lend their support to the NDA.
Two more TMC Rajya Sabha MPs, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Sushmita Dev, resigned from their positions on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
Saayoni switching camp?
Saayoni Ghosh, the TMC's MP from Jdavapur, is considered one of Mamata's fiercest backers. Ghosh had put out a long post accepting the mandate and voicing her continued support for her leader on 4 May, the day when the TMC lost power in the state after an uninterrupted 15-year rule.
However, as Mamata and Abhishek continue to be deserted by their loyalists, PTI reported on Wednesday that Ghosh has also ditched the aunt-nephew duo and added her name to the list of rebel MPs along with Kolkata South MP Mala Roy.
Besides Ray and Ghosh Dastidar, the other members of the TMC rebel camp are MPs Abu Taher, Asit Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Kalipada Soren, Jagadish Basunia, Prasun Banerjee, Sharmila Sarkar, Satabdi Roy, Yusuf Pathan, June Malia, Khalilur Rahaman, Bapi Halder, Rachana Banerjee, Mitali Bag, Dev Adhikari and Partha Bhowmick.
Bollywood star Shatrughan Sinha has not yet clarified his position in the matter. PTI said citing sources within the TMC that he is planning to stand by Mamata Banerjee. Even former cricketer Kirti Azad has decided to stand by Banerjee in her times of trouble.
Yusuf Pathan reportedly met with Amit Shah in Delhi this week, prompting a public rebuke by Mahua Moitra on social media.
Will Mamata-Abhishek join Congress?
After a meeting between Mamata Banerjee and Sonia Gandhi followed by Rahul Gandhi and Abhishek Banerjee getting into a huddle on Wednesday, some are speculating that Banerjee might merge the TMC unit under her with the Congress, the very party she broke away from in 1998 and formed the TMC. There has been no official comment in this regard from either side.
On the other hand, the leader of the rebel MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee, has said that his faction is not planning any merger with the Congress and that it itself is the real TMC.
"We are the real Trinamool Congress. We are not merging with the Congress," he said in Kolkata.
About the Author
Sayak Basu
Sayak Basu is a digital journalist with more than seven years of experience in covering general news, politics, science, cricket, and football. He brings a sharp editorial eye and a keen attention to detail in the newsroom.<br><br> Sayak focuses on breaking stories, analysis of political and sporting events, and new scientific research that is pushing the limits of civilisation.<br><br> He has earlier worked for publications like NewsBytes, Cinemaholic, Zacks Investment Research, and Deccan Herald. Sayak currently serves as an Assistant Editor at Livemint where he runs daily news operations.<br><br> Sayak has a master's degree in English Literature from Jadavpur University, Kolkata.<br><br> Based out of Bengaluru, he has a keen interest in world cinema, literature, sports, and music.
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