A fresh political storm appears to be brewing within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) after rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar announced her decision to form a separate faction within the party and claimed that she has the backing of 20 Members of Parliament (MPs). The dramatic remarks have intensified speculation about internal divisions within the ruling party in West Bengal and could have significant political implications if the claims materialise into a formal split.
Addressing a press conference on Monday evening, Dastidar alleged that she was not being allowed to function effectively within the party and accused the TMC leadership of encouraging certain individuals to target and attack her politically. "I will form a separate faction of the TMC. I have the backing of 20 MPs, and they are all aligned with me," she added. According to Dastidar, her faction will also work alongside the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Sharp attack on Mamata Banerjee
Launching a direct attack on TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Dastidar claimed that the state had fallen behind under her administration. She further alleged that several welfare and development schemes of the Central government were not allowed to be implemented properly in West Bengal. "Mamata Banerjee pushed the state 40 years backwards. She did not allow central government's schemes to be implemented in the state. Bengal's development suffered immensely under the her rule," the rebel MP added.
'My head may be cut off, but it will never bow down'
Dastidar further alleged that despite repeatedly raising concerns within the party, her grievances were not addressed. She maintained that her decision was driven by a desire to work for the development of both West Bengal and the country and insisted that she could no longer continue under the prevailing circumstances within the party. "I am the Chief Whip of the TMC. Mamata Banerjee did not listen to my complaints. I want to work for Bengal and for the country. My head may be cut off, but it will never bow. I have been with Mamata Banerjee since 1984. I have reached this position after years of struggle and perseverance." Notably, the TMC leadership has not yet officially responded to her latest allegations and claims.
20 TMC rebel MPs write to Speaker
It is worth noting here that the crisis engulfing the TMC deepened on Monday as 20 Lok Sabha MPs, led by Chief Whip Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, have decided to write to Speaker Om Birla declaring support for the BJP-led NDA, triggering a split in the party's parliamentary unit and dealing a severe blow to Mamata Banerjee's authority after the party's Assembly poll debacle.
The development comes barely days after the TMC leadership suffered a setback in the West Bengal Assembly, where 58 of its 80 MLAs defied the party high command's decision to appoint veteran leader Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition, and elected expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee to that post. The political turbulence that has gripped the TMC since its Assembly election debacle appeared to spill over to its parliamentary ranks on Monday, with a group of dissident MPs extending support to the NDA even as party supremo Mamata Banerjee was in Delhi attending an INDIA bloc conclave to chart a pan-India strategy against the BJP.
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