Dissident TMC MPs To Stake Claim For Recognition As Real TMC
One of the rebel MPs, Mr Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia on Friday claimed that there 19 members who are currently part of the breakaway faction will stake claim on TMC’s symbol, a situation similar to Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party split
New Delhi: Armed with a signed letter by 19 Members of Parliament, the dissident MPs of Trinamool Congress will meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday to stake claim to be recognised as the "real TMC." Among the signatories, as circulating in public domain, are cricketer Yusuf Pathan, and actress Saayoni Ghosh. The new grouping led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has announced its support to the BJP led NDA in the Lok Sabha and has sought separate seating arrangement.
One of the rebel MPs, Mr Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia on Friday claimed that there 19 members who are currently part of the breakaway faction will stake claim on TMC’s symbol, a situation similar to Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party split.
The dissident TMC leaders claimed that they have signatures of Mrs Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Ms Satabdi Roy, Mr Bapi Haldar, Ms Sharmila Sarkar, Mr Prasun Bandyopadhyay, Mr Jagadish Barma Basunia, Mr Asit Kumar Mal, Mr Arup Chakraborty, Ms Rachna Banerjee, Ms Saayoni Ghosh, Mr Khalilur Rahaman, Mr Abu Taher Khan, Mr Yusuf Pathan, Ms Mitali Bag, Ms Mala Roy, Mr Kalipada Soren, Mr Deepak Adhikari, Ms June Malia and Mr Partha Bhowmick. None of the MPs have come out to deny that they have not signed the paper that is circulating in public domain. However, a rebel MP acknowledged that the list is real and a few more are likely to join them.
Interestingly, TMC MLA and Mamata loyalist Mr Kunal Ghosh demanded that the signatures of these 19 MPs should be verified with the specimen signatures available with the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
As per rules if 2/3rd of the party breaks then it merges with another party. TMC MP Mrs Mahua Moitra, who is backing party chief Mamata Banerjee, said, “Traitor TMC lawmakers don’t know the law. Constitution 91st Amendment 2003 removed provision for split/ separate bloc. Number of MPs is irrelevant -- 2/3 of the original political party has to merge with another party. All 19 traitors need to resign and contest on the BJP ticket.”
With 28 MPs in the Lok Sabha, the TMC is the third-largest opposition party after the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.
