Kakoli Ghosh claims 20 TMC MPs wrote to LS speaker seeking NDA entry: Reports

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) faced a major political setback on Monday after rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claimed that nearly 20 party MPs had decided to align with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and had submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking recognition of their move, as per reports.

Dastidar, who is expected to lead the breakaway faction, said the decision was influenced by the outcome of the recent West Bengal Assembly elections. “We accepted the people's verdict in Bengal. We believe our future political course should be aligned with the NDA,” she reportedly said.

The development comes amid growing unrest within the TMC following its defeat in the Assembly elections, which resulted in the formation of West Bengal’s first BJP-led government under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, a former close aide of Mamata Banerjee.

The political turmoil intensified after Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray resigned earlier in the day. The developments unfolded just hours after TMC chief Mamata Banerjee reportedly arrived in New Delhi to attend the INDIA bloc meeting.

While Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee and other senior party leaders attended the opposition alliance meeting at the Constitution Club, rebel MPs gathered at the residence of Union Minister and BJP’s West Bengal election in-charge Bhupender Yadav on Motilal Nehru Marg.

As per reports, around 20 MPs, along with Sukhendu Shekhar Ray, attended the meeting, which was also attended by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. With the support of nearly 20 MPs, the dissident camp appears to have crossed the two-thirds threshold required under the anti-defection law’s merger provision, potentially shielding them from disqualification under the Tenth Schedule.

Among those reported to have attended the meeting were Prasun Banerjee (Howrah), Sharmila Sarkar (Bardhaman Purba), Jagadish Chandra Basunia (Cooch Behar), Arup Chakraborty (Bankura), Kalipada Soren (Jhargram) and Asit Mal (Bolpur). Sources also claimed that Bapi Haldar, MP from Mathurapur, later joined the gathering.

The rebel leaders reportedly ignored attempts by Abhishek Banerjee to contact them. Significantly, the MPs involved represent constituencies across North Bengal, Junglemahal and South Bengal, suggesting that the discontent within the TMC is spread across multiple regions rather than being confined to a single faction.

The parliamentary rebellion follows a recent revolt within the TMC’s legislative wing, where Ritabrata Banerjee secured the support of 58 out of the party’s 80 MLAs and was subsequently recognised as the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly by Speaker Rathindra Bose.