Rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Claims Support of 22 MPs Ahead of Meeting With Lok Sabha Speaker

Kolkata/New Delhi: The political turmoil within the Trinamool Congress deepened on Sunday as rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claimed that her faction now enjoys the support of 22 party MPs and is set to seek recognition as a separate bloc in Parliament.

Speaking to reporters while travelling to New Delhi, Kakoli Ghosh said the rebel group had secured an appointment with Om Birla and would meet him on Monday to formally submit a request for recognition as a separate parliamentary group.

“We are 22 MPs now. We will meet the Speaker tomorrow and demand the formation of a separate bloc,” she said.

The claim comes a day after senior TMC leader and MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay reportedly joined the dissident camp, taking the number of rebel MPs from 19 to 20. Kakoli Ghosh now maintains that two more MPs have extended their support, although she declined to reveal their identities, saying their names would be made public once they formally joined the faction.

According to the rebel camp, the group has already submitted a letter to the Speaker seeking recognition as a separate bloc under Kakoli Ghosh's leadership. Reports suggest that 19 MPs had earlier signed the document, including prominent names such as Satabdi Roy, Yusuf Pathan, Dev (Deepak Adhikari), Saayoni Ghosh and Mala Roy.

The rebellion has emerged amid growing unrest within the party following its recent electoral setback in West Bengal. The dissident MPs have indicated their willingness to support the BJP-led NDA at the Centre, although no formal merger has been announced.

Meanwhile, speculation continues over the identities of the two additional MPs claimed by Kakoli Ghosh. Among the prominent leaders who had not signed the earlier letter were Abhishek Banerjee, Kalyan Banerjee, Sougata Roy, Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad, Shatrughan Sinha, Pratima Mondal and Sajda Ahmed.

The Speaker’s response to the request and the future course of the dissident faction are likely to determine the next phase of the crisis engulfing the Trinamool Congress.

With inputs from IANS