New Delhi/Kolkata: TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Wednesday to discuss opposition coordination and the way forward for the INDIA bloc as the Mamata Banerjee-led party is grappling with a deepening internal crisis marked by fresh resignations and an escalating rebellion within its ranks.
The nearly-90-minute meeting in New Delhi came a day after Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee met Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, with TMC leaders indicating that the discussions were part of the continuing engagement between INDIA bloc partners following Monday’s opposition meeting in the capital.
According to a senior TMC MP, Abhishek Banerjee and Rahul Gandhi discussed issues raised at the INDIA bloc meeting, preparations for a proposed follow-up meeting in Hyderabad and ways in which opposition parties can work together more closely in the coming months.
They discussed the situation, the SIR issue, much of what was covered in the INDIA bloc meeting and the way ahead. They discussed how we can together prepare for Hyderabad and follow up on the decisions taken at the INDIA bloc meeting, the MP said.
He indicated that more such interactions between the leaders of the two parties are likely in the coming weeks as the opposition seeks to sharpen its strategy against the ruling BJP.
The meeting took place a day after Mamata Banerjee held talks with Sonia Gandhi at the latter’s New Delhi residence. According to TMC leaders, the meeting between the two veteran leaders was planned earlier and lasted around 50 minutes.
Sources said Banerjee stressed the need for opposition unity and effective coordination among INDIA bloc constituents on issues affecting the public.
The renewed engagement between the Congress and the TMC has triggered speculation in political circles about a possible merger. However, senior TMC leaders have dismissed the speculation as baseless.
We have no such information. This is baseless, a senior TMC leader told PTI.
The developments in Delhi unfolded even as the TMC’s internal troubles continued to deepen.
Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev resigned from both the Upper House and the party Wednesday, becoming the second TMC parliamentarian to quit this week after veteran leader Sukhendu Sekhar Ray resigned from the Rajya Sabha and the party.
Dev, who joined the TMC after leaving the Congress in 2021, said it was her personal decision and declined to comment on speculation regarding her future plans.
It is my individual decision, what kind of politics I want to do and who should be my leader. I have my reasons and that is why I have taken my decision, she said.
On reports linking her to a possible move to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Dev said she will announce her decision when the time comes, as she also said she admires the work done in Assam by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who she met on Wednesday.
Dev’s resignation came amid growing uncertainty within the TMC following its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly polls and a rebellion that has significantly weakened its organisational and legislative strength.
Last week, more than two-thirds of the party’s MLAs — 58 out of 80 — broke away from the official TMC legislature party and secured recognition as the principal opposition bloc in the West Bengal Assembly under expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee. The rebel camp has since claimed that its strength has risen further.
The crisis subsequently spread to Parliament, with rebel MPs led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claiming the support of more than 20 Lok Sabha members. Jadavpur MP Saayoni Ghosh and Kolkata Dakshin MP Mala Roy joined the dissident lawmakers Wednesday.
Besides Ghosh Dastidar and Ray, among those said to be in the rebel camp are MPs Abu Taher, Asit Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Kalipada Soren, Jagadish Basunia, Prasun Banerjee, Sharmila Sarkar, Satabdi Roy, Yusuf Pathan, June Malia, Khalilur Rahaman, Bapi Halder, Rachana Banerjee, Mitali Bag, Dev Adhikari and Partha Bhowmick. While the name of Shatrughan Sinha was also reported to be among the rebels, TMC sources have claimed that the actor-turned politician is standing by Mamata Banerjee.
While Ghosh Dastidar has said they will write to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla extending support to the ruling NDA, the letter has not been released publicly.
Amid reports that some MPs are exploring options for a split, the senior TMC MP sought to draw a distinction between a political party and a parliamentary party.
There is a difference between a political party and a parliamentary party, he said.
He argued that there is no constitutional provision allowing MPs to simply form another parliamentary group after breaking away from a party.
The only option is if two-thirds merge with another party, he said, referring to anti-defection provisions governing mergers.
The TMC leader cited examples from other parties and said comparisons are being drawn with developments involving Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MPs in the past, but maintained that the legal position in the case of parliamentary parties is clear.
Appearing to take a swipe at some dissidents, the MP said the TMC has fought difficult political battles since its formation in 1998 and that several leaders who joined the party later have not experienced those struggles.
The TMC has been fighting since 1998. Those who came to the party later have not seen that struggle, he said.
Meanwhile, Ritabrata Banerjee asserted that the dissident camp represents the real TMC and ruled out any merger with the Congress.
Claiming the support of a majority of MLAs and a growing number of MPs, he said the rebel faction would continue to function under the TMC banner.
We are the real Trinamool Congress. We are not merging with the Congress, he said in Kolkata.
He also claimed that MLAs, MPs and organisational leaders aligned with his camp are opposed to any merger proposal and maintained that the dissident bloc would continue pursuing its own political course.
