Rebel TMC MPs To Merge With Nationalist Citizens Party & Support BJP-Led NDA

Kolkata: In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing crisis within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the rebel party MPs have announced that they will merge with the Tripura-based Nationalist Citizens Party and will extend support to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The development signals a total detachment from TMC chief and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee's leadership.

‘Will Collaborate Under Leadership Of PM Modi’

Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who heads the rebel faction, said, "We are merging with the Nationalist Citizens Party. Moving forward, we will work for the nation and collaborate with the NDA under the leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

She added that the dissident group has the support of 20 parliamentarians, which is more than two-third of the strength of the party in the House. Earlier, Ghosh had claimed that two more MPs are set to join the rebel faction formally, that would take their tally to 22.

Rebel MPs' Meeting With Om Birla

The announcement of the merger comes after the faction held a meeting with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and submitted a letter to him, requesting his approval to sit away from the other TMC leaders in the House.

Earlier, it was believed that the rebels would stake claim for the ‘real TMC’ at the meeting. However, reports claimed that the rebels sought for merger with Nationalist Citizens Party and did not seek a separate recognition due to legal complications that would have emerged in doing so.

‘Will Make A Demand For Trinamool’

TMC rebel MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay stated that the rebels will make a demand for Trinamool in July. Confirming the merger with Nationalist Citizens Party, Bandyopadhyay said, “This is the system. When you leave with 2/3rd of the party, you cannot demand the name of that party on the first day itself.”

“In July, we will make a demand to give us Trinamool since we have 2/3rd majority from Trinamool. Then the court will decide," he added.

Who Are The 20 Rebels?

1. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar
2. Satabdi Roy
3. Bapi Haldar
4. Dr. Sharmila Sarkar
5. Prasun Bandyopadhyay
6. Jagadish Barma Basunia
7. Asit Kumar Mal
8. Arup Chakraborty
9. Rachna Banerjee
10. Saayoni Ghosh
11. Khalilur Rahaman
12. Abu Taher Khan
13. Yusuf Pathan
14. Mitali Bag
15. Mala Roy
16. Kalipada Soren
17. Deepak Adhikari
18. June Malia
19. Partha Bhowmick
20. Sudip Bandyopadhya

All About Nationalist Citizens Party

Nationalist Citizens Party is a Bengali-oriented Tripura based political party.

'There Is Only One TMC': Abhishek Banerjee

Earlier in the day, Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, stressing that there TMC is a "single, indivisible political party" and no member or set of members can carve out a parallel group or faction of the same party and claim independent recognition within the House.

“My attention has been drawn to news reports to the effect that certain members of the Lok Sabha belonging to the AITC have submitted, or propose to submit, a communication to your good office seeking to be recognised as a separate group or faction of the AITC, independent of the legislative party,” Banerjee wrote in the letter, requesting Birla to not accord the recognition sought by the group.

Abhishek Banerjee said, "The legislative party in the Lok Sabha derives its very existence from, and remains an emanation of, the political party. There is in law only one AITC, one Leader of the Party in the House, and one Whip, all of whom hold office by authority of the political party and its competent organisational authority. No member or set of members can, by their own volition, carve out a parallel "group" or "faction" of the same party and claim independent recognition within the House."