NEW DELHI: The identities of 19 out of 20 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha MPs have finally been disclosed, as the faction submitted their names to Speaker Om Birla's office on May 18. The breakaway group is spearheaded by senior leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar. Cricketer-turned-politician Yusuf Pathan and Saayoni Ghosh are also part of this faction.
Background of the Rebellion
With 28 members, the TMC is the third largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha, trailing behind the Congress (99) and the Samajwadi Party (37). The rebel faction comprises 19 TMC MPs, which constitutes two-thirds of the party's strength, thereby allowing them to bypass the anti-defection law. They have asserted that they will not join the BJP-led ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) but will only offer their support.
Complete List of Rebel MPs
- Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar
- Satabdi Doy
- Bapi Haldar
- Sharmila Sarkar
- Sharmila Bandhyopadhyay
- Jagdish Barma Basunia
- Asit Kumar Mal
- Arup Chakraborty
- Rachna Banerjee
- Saayoni Ghosh
- Khalilur Rahman
- Abu Taher Khan
- Yusuf Pathan
- Mitali Baig
- Mala Roy
- Kalipada Soren
- Deepak Adhikari
- June Malia
- Partha Bhowmick
Impact on TMC
The TMC had earlier encountered a rebellion among its legislators, with expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee claiming that 58 out of 80 TMC MLAs were recognized in the West Bengal Assembly as part of the opposition group. Trinamool supremo and former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is grappling with an internal revolt following the party's defeat in the April assembly elections, which ended its 15-year rule in the state. The BJP defeated the TMC and assumed power in West Bengal for the first time.
Additionally, three of its Rajya Sabha MPs have resigned from both the Upper House and the party.
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