Photo Courtesy: northeasttoday
Agartala: A significant political shift is unfolding in the Lok Sabha as 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs attempt to break away from their party. The group has formally petitioned Speaker Om Birla to recognize their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India, a minor organization established in 2022. While 19 members met with the Speaker in person, first-time MP Rachana Banerjee provided her consent from abroad.
Speaker Om Birla is currently reviewing the legitimacy of the signatures before deciding on the merger status. Rebel leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar confirmed the group's intention to support the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. If the Speaker validates the move, the shift would bolster the ruling coalition's parliamentary strength.
The TMC leadership is fighting the claim, with party loyalists Sagarika Ghose and Kirti Azad presenting a letter from floor leader Abhishek Banerjee to the Speaker. The document argues that the party remains unified and asserts that the legal provision for a political split is no longer valid. The letter stressed that the provision for a “split” no longer exists under the Tenth Schedule, citing recent Supreme Court observations.
The rebellion includes high-profile figures such as Sudip Bandopadhyay, Shatabdi Ray, and Yusuf Pathan. This internal turmoil follows recent electoral losses for the TMC and threatens to reduce its parliamentary presence to single digits. Legal experts remain conflicted, with figures like Kapil Sibal suggesting the rebels could face disqualification if the parent party does not officially merge. The TMC has indicated it may take the matter to court as the political standoff continues.
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