New Delhi: The internal crisis within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) appeared to intensify on Sunday after rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claimed that two more parliamentarians were set to join the dissident camp, taking its strength in the Lok Sabha to 22.
Speaking to reporters before leaving Kolkata for New Delhi, Dastidar said the rebel group had secured an appointment with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and would seek formal recognition as a separate parliamentary bloc.
“We are going to Delhi for a meeting. Twenty-two MPs are with us. The Speaker has given us time. We will meet him on Monday and seek recognition as a separate bloc,” Dastidar said.
While she refrained from revealing the identities of the two MPs expected to join the faction, she indicated that their names would be announced once they formally align with the group.
The rebellion comes against the backdrop of growing discontent within the TMC following the West Bengal Assembly elections. Dastidar said several MPs who had voiced concerns over the political situation in the state during the past few years had been in touch with the dissident camp.
“Those who honestly voiced their opinions against the situation prevailing in West Bengal over the last four to five years have been in touch with us. Our number is now 22,” she said.
According to sources, a meeting of the rebel MPs, initially scheduled to take place in Kolkata, has now been shifted to Delhi ahead of their meeting with the Speaker.
The latest developments follow a dramatic escalation in tensions within the party earlier this week, when rebel MPs openly challenged the TMC leadership and hinted at extending support to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.
A document bearing the signatures of 19 TMC MPs surfaced on Friday, seeking recognition as a separate parliamentary group under Dastidar’s leadership. However, there has been no official confirmation from the Speaker’s Secretariat regarding the request.
