Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra has challenged claims made by Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar who resigned from all TMC posts late last month said the rebel group decided to support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), adding that she has the support of nearly 20 MPs.
Moitra said that if the rebels truly had the backing of 20 parliamentarians, they would have already submitted a formal letter to prove their majority.
“They have 16, they have been claiming that they have 20. Now, the onus is on them. If they really had 20, I’m sure there would have been a letter out, there would have been signatures out, there would have been a joint press conference (with the BJP). I can categorically tell you that they don’t have 20 MPs.” she said.
The remarks come amid growing unrest within the TMC after a group of dissident leaders claimed support from a large section of the party’s MPs and suggested that the party could face a split similar to those seen in other regional parties.
Responding to these claims, Moitra questioned the credibility of the rebels’ numbers and argued that no official document had been produced to support their assertion. According to her, a letter demonstrating support would have been made public if the rebels actually had the required strength.
She asserted, "Even if they did have 20, what would it get them? That you can sit aside (from the TMC). Apart from sitting aside, there is no room for any separate faction or block to be recognised in the Lok Sabha or in the Assembly. They are free to call themselves Kakoli Congress or Shatabdi Congress or BJP-B team in Bengal and sit aside. So they are welcome to sit aside and vote for the BJP. Nobody can stop that. But that’s the end of their Lok Sabha career.”
The political crisis has intensified speculation about the future of the TMC, with reports of defections and internal disagreements creating uncertainty within the party, as reported by political observers. However, the party leadership has continued to dismiss claims about a major split and has maintained that the organisation remains united.
