Rebel TMC Faction May Merge With NCPI, Back NDA

Sources in the Lok Sabha Speaker office said that 19 TMC MPs met Mr Birla. After the meeting, rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claimed that two-thirds of the party's Lok Sabha members have submitted a letter seeking recognition as a separate group.
"Two-thirds MPs of TMC have given a letter to the Speaker for a separate seating arrangement. We will merge with the Nationalist Citizen Party and support the NDA," Ms Dastidar said.
Confirming the merger with the NCPI, senior TMC leader and Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said that the dissident camp has already joined hands with the recognised regional party. "The Nationalist Citizen Party is a recognised regional party. We have merged with it," he said.

Asked about the competing claim of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction, Mr Bandyopadhyay said that the issue of who is the "real TMC" will be decided by the courts. He said they will stake claim to the TMC's electoral symbol of two flowers. "The court will decide later who the real TMC is. We met the Speaker and gave him our request," he said.
TMC leaders of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction — Kirti Azad and Sagarika Ghosh — also met Mr Birla and submitted Mr Banerjee's letter urging him not to accord any recognition to any group claiming to be a separate faction of the party. The letter dated June 10, which was sent through email earlier, said that the Constitution and the anti-defection law do not permit such a split.

In his letter, the TMC general requested that the All India Trinamul Congress (AITC) be treated as a single political party represented in the House only through its duly authorised leader and whip and that the party be given an opportunity to present its case before any decision is taken on any communication from dissident MPs.
"Treat the AITC as a single political party represented in the House solely through its duly authorised leader and whip, and decline to accord any recognition, status, or facility to any purported separate group or faction of the AITC," Mr Banerjee wrote.
Citing the Supreme Court's Constitution Bench judgment in the Maharashtra political crisis case, Mr Banerjee argued that the defence of a "split" is no longer available under the 10th Schedule and that the legal framework contemplates identification of one political party, not recognition of rival factions within it.

"Afford the AITC an opportunity of being heard before any decision is taken on any communication of the nature referred to above, should the same be received," Mr Banerjee wrote to Mr Birla. He also contended that any merger claim will require both a merger of the political party and the support of two-thirds of the TMC legislators and that satisfying only one of these conditions will not be sufficient under the law.
After meeting the Speaker, Mr Azad said that the Supreme Court's Constitution Bench has made it clear that a split within a political party is impermissible. "We came here to submit a letter over this issue only. WE urge the Speaker to work under the constitutional framework and its legalities," he said.
Before meeting the Lok Sabha Speaker, the TMC rebel MPs met Union minister Bhupender Yadav at his official residence.
Earlier in the day, TMC MPs Saayoni Ghosh and Mala Roy, who landed in Delhi ahead of the rebels' meeting with the Speaker, declined to give out the details of the agenda to the media at the airport.
"I would answer the people of my constituency, not to you," Ms Ghosh said.

The defected TMC MPs are set to meet Mr Birla on Monday and hand over a letter announcing their separation from the party.

According to speculation, the TMC rebellion and the hectic activities associated with it are aimed to boost NDA numbers in Parliament as it strives for a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament to help pass crucial constitutional amendment bills.

While the current round of Rajya Sabha elections will help the NDA inch toward the two-thirds mark, in the Lok Sabha, it is still far from that magic figure of 363, despite the TMC switchover. Sources said that from its current strength of 148 MPs, the NDA is set to gain three seats in the current round of the Rajya Sabha elections by winning the Independent seats in Jharkhand and Mizoram, where elections are being held.

With three TMC MPs resigning, the NDA is set to secure all three seats from West Bengal after the bypolls, upping its tally to 154, nine short of a two-thirds majority in the Upper House.

As more TMC MPs are likely to resign in the Upper House, the NDA may achieve the figure of 163, which will give it the numerical strength to pass all constitutional amendment bills.

The ruling alliance's strength may decrease by November when 10 MPs from Uttar Pradesh retire, and the Samajwadi Party may gain some seats in the Rajya Sabha, with its improved numerical strength in the state Assembly.

The INDIA bloc currently has 64 MPs on its side, after the exit of the DMK with eight MPs and the AAP with three MPs distancing themselves from the Opposition grouping.

Independent parties such as the YSRCP and the BJD, with seven and six seats, and the MDMK, can go either way in the Rajya Sabha.

In the Lok Sabha, however, the NDA's numbers can go up to 213 with around 20 more TMC MPs forming a separate group and supporting it. In the Lok Sabha, 363 MPs are needed to get a two-thirds majority.