The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) is witnessing possibly the worst crisis of its political history, as several senior leaders and legislators rebel against the boss. Instead of minor defections, she is facing an institutional breakdown across the legislative, parliamentary, and organisational wings of the party.
This crisis is playing out remarkably like the "Shiv Sena/NCP-style" regional party splits seen in Maharashtra.
In a dramatic escalation of the party's internal crisis, a group of 19 rebel TMC MPs submitted a copy of the letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, following the party's recent West Bengal Assembly election defeat.
19 rebel TMC MPs wrote the letter, dated May 18, backing the formation of a separate parliamentary faction and are now staking claim to the TMC's symbol, asserting that they represent the "real" TMC.
The development leaves only nine of the party's 28 Lok Sabha MPs outside the rebel camp.
The rebel MPs include Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, June Maliah, Saayoni Ghosh, and Yusuf Pathan.
Reportedly, the rebel MPs have informed the Speaker of their intention to function as a separate parliamentary group.
However, the rebel faction has maintained that they don't intend to join the NDA but will operate independently for the "interests" of West Bengal.
The rebel MPs alleged that Mamata Banerjee has lost touch with ground realities, in the state and in the party, and allowed corruption to take root in both. They also raised complaints that Banerjee has given too much power to her nephew and TMC's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The Speaker will now have to determine whether the dissident group can be recognised on technical and procedural grounds.
The rebel faction is expected to stake a claim to the TMC symbol before the Election Commission, arguing that it represents the majority of the party's parliamentary strength.
As the TMC's parliamentary wing faces a formal split, all eyes now shift to the Speaker's office and the Election Commission, whose decisions will determine the future of one of India's most influential regional parties.
