KOLKATA: Rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a long-time confidante of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, stated on Monday that concerns over "national interest" and governance issues had compelled her to support a breakaway faction from the party amid intensifying internal divisions, according to news agency ANI.
This development followed the resignation of Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray from both the party and the Upper House, a move accepted by the Chairman. Speaking to the media, Ghosh Dastidar clarified that the decision was not driven by political opportunism but stemmed from long-standing dissatisfaction with the state's situation.
"Things have been deteriorating, and I have been with Mamata Banerjee for 40 years... It is futile to claim that I left because she is not in power in West Bengal. That is not the case. Over the last three to four years, immense pressure has been placed on government officers to operate according to the whims of certain leadership. We want to work for the development of the state, for national interest, and for the safety and security of the nation. That is why we wish to work separately," she said.
The announcement comes amid rising political tensions following the party's electoral setback in the West Bengal Assembly elections, which has exacerbated factional disputes within the organization. The political rift within the TMC has widened in recent days, with signs of a potential split in the Lok Sabha after internal unrest first surfaced in the state assembly. The crisis has deepened as rebel leaders assert an independent stance.
On Monday, Ghosh Dastidar escalated the situation by revealing that a group of 20 MPs had formally approached the Lok Sabha Speaker requesting separate seating arrangements in Parliament. Speaking to ANI, she said, "We are 20 MPs who have requested the Speaker for separate seating, and we will work in coordination with the central and state governments for the development of West Bengal." She further highlighted the reasons, stating, "We oppose the lawlessness, misgovernance, and unemployment in West Bengal over the past few years."
The internal divide was also evident in Delhi, where rival groups of MPs held separate meetings. While Mamata Banerjee, along with senior leader Abhishek Banerjee and loyalists, attended an INDIA bloc meeting at the Constitution Club, the breakaway faction conducted parallel discussions at another location. The dissident camp, which includes senior leaders like Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, has also been engaged in separate political consultations, underscoring the widening gap within the party leadership.
According to political analysts, the rebel group appears to be positioning itself within the framework of the anti-defection law. Under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, a split is protected only if at least two-thirds of a party's legislators support it. With the TMC holding 28 Lok Sabha seats, the required threshold is 19 MPs, and the claim of around 20 MPs backing the faction places it within that range.
These developments mark one of the most serious internal challenges for the Trinamool Congress in Parliament, indicating a deepening organizational split and raising questions about the party's future unity.
