Trinamool Congress Faces Internal Crisis as Rebel Leader Claims 64 MLA Support, Denies Congress Merger
Rebel Trinamool Congress leader Ritabrata Banerjee claims his faction now has support from 64 MLAs and categorically denied any merger with the Congress party. The TMC is experiencing significant internal turmoil following recent assembly election losses, with multiple high-profile resignations including Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev. The defections and internal splits threaten the party's cohesion and parliamentary strength in West Bengal.
Amid intensifying internal conflict within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee—recently recognized as Leader of the Opposition by the West Bengal Assembly Speaker—claims his dissident faction commands support from 64 MLAs, up from an initial 58 signatories. Banerjee stated these legislators plan to formally submit a letter to the Speaker and explicitly denied rumors of a merger with the Congress party, asserting that MPs, municipal representatives, and local officials are not defecting to Congress. The TMC is experiencing a cascade of high-profile exits following the party's recent assembly election defeat, including the resignation of Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev (who met with BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma and is speculated to join the BJP) and Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, who criticized the party's "15-year anarchical rule." Additionally, 20 rebel TMC MPs have requested separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha. Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury denied any knowledge of merger discussions, stating he remains "in the dark" about such developments.
What's missing
The article does not provide the total number of TMC MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly, making it difficult to assess what proportion the 64-MLA rebel faction represents. Additionally, the specific reasons or policy disagreements driving the rebellion beyond election loss dissatisfaction are not detailed. The current status of Mamata Banerjee and the main TMC leadership's response to these defections is also absent.
What different sources said
- NDTVCenter
'No Merger With Congress': Trinamool Rebel Leader Claims Support Of 64 MLAs
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