Amid an escalating political crisis within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), rebel MPs are expected to hold a crucial meeting on Sunday to finalise their future strategy. The dissident lawmakers are also likely to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday to formally extend support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Speaking to reporters in Kolkata on Friday, suspended TMC leader Riju Dutta claimed that Suvendu Adhikari is expected to attend the meeting of the rebel MPs on Sunday.
"These rebel MPs are likely to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday. A major meeting is also scheduled for Sunday, which, according to my information, the Chief Minister of Bengal might also attend," Dutta said.
He further claimed that nearly 20 rebel TMC MPs have decided to support the NDA in the national interest.
"The rebel faction of TMC MPs, comprising around 20 MPs, has clearly stated that it will support the NDA. It is a win-win situation for the BJP, as it gains support without the MPs having to formally join the party," Dutta added.
Earlier, rebel MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia said the group would meet the Speaker on Monday to seek recognition as the "real TMC."
"On Monday, we will approach the Speaker and press our claim to form the real TMC parliamentary group. We will request him to grant recognition to our faction," Basunia said.
The Trinamool Congress is facing what is being described as its most serious internal crisis since its formation. The rebellion by a section of MPs and MLAs reportedly followed the party's poor performance in the recent Assembly elections, triggering questions over the leadership of Mamata Banerjee.
According to reports, 19 dissident MPs—including senior leaders Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Satabdi Roy—submitted their names to the Lok Sabha Speaker's Office on May 18, just weeks after the election results. They reportedly sought separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha, signaling an organisational split within the party's parliamentary wing.
The list of rebel MPs reportedly includes Bapi Haldar, Sharmila Sarkar, Prasun Bandyopadhyay, Jagadish Barma Basunia, Asit Kumar Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Rachna Banerjee, Saayoni Ghosh, Khalilur Rahaman, Abu Taher Khan, Yusuf Pathan, Mitali Bag, Mala Roy, Kalipada Soren, Deepak Adhikari, June Malia, and Partha Bhowmick.
