TMC Split Reaches Delhi: Rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar Claims Support of 20 MPs to Join NDA

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing a massive political crisis as veteran leader and Chief Whip Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar announced her decision to form a breakaway faction within the party. Speaking at a dramatic press conference on Monday evening, Dastidar claimed she has the backing of 20 Members of Parliament (MPs). The stunning announcement heightens speculation about deep internal fractures within West Bengal's ruling party and could trigger a formal split with severe political fallout.

Dastidar alleged that she was being systematically sidelined and blocked from functioning effectively. She directly accused the TMC leadership of encouraging specific individuals to target and politically assault her.

"I will form a separate faction of the TMC. I have the backing of 20 MPs, and they are all aligned with me," Dastidar declared, adding that her new faction intends to work alongside the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

A Direct Challenge to Mamata Banerjee's Leadership

Launching a fierce and direct attack on TMC chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Dastidar claimed that the state has regressed heavily under the current administration. She further alleged that the state government actively blocked the proper rollout of crucial central welfare initiatives.

"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 her rule," the rebel MP asserted.

'My Head May Be Cut Off, But It Will Never Bow Down'

According to Dastidar, her repeated attempts to voice internal grievances were completely ignored by the party hierarchy. She emphasized that her defiance is rooted in a commitment to national and state development, stating she could no longer tolerate the current operational environment inside the TMC.

"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," she stated.

The top leadership of the Trinamool Congress has not yet issued an official response to these explosive allegations and claims.

Dissident MPs Move to Alert the Lok Sabha Speaker

The internal turmoil quickly escalated on Monday as the 20 Lok Sabha MPs, under Dastidar's leadership, moved to formalize their stance. The rebel group has decided to write to Speaker Om Birla to officially declare their legislative support for the BJP-led NDA. This coordinated maneuver effectively fractures the TMC's parliamentary strength and delivers a direct blow to Mamata Banerjee's authority, following the party's recent losses in the state assembly polls.

This parliamentary rebellion unfolds just days after a major mutiny in the West Bengal Assembly. In that incident, 58 out of 80 TMC MLAs openly defied the party high command's directive to appoint veteran leader Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition. Instead, the rebel state lawmakers elected expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee to the post.

The political instability following the assembly election defeat has now spilled directly into the party's central parliamentary ranks. Notably, this dissident push occurred on the exact day party supremo Mamata Banerjee was in Delhi attending an INDIA bloc conclave to organize a unified national strategy against the BJP.
 

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