After rebellion, split in assembly, focus now shifts to TMC MPs

NEw new delhi: After 58 Trinamool us congress MLAs staked lay claim to suit the principal sum Opposition party in West Bengal, vertically splitting the party, focus has shifted to the party’s Parliamentarians, 28 in the Lok Sabha, and 13 in the Rajya Sabha.Two senior leaders of the Ritabrata Banerjee-led group of the TMC claimed on Thursday that “majority of the Lok Sabha MPs” of Trinamool have opened “communication channels” with it. “More than two-third Lok Sabha MPs in TMC are talking to us,” said a leader from Kolkata.In the assembly, the group’s numbers are large enough to be recognised as the party itself if it comes to that, given recent experience with the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party. There is also speculation that some of the MPs are in talks with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Ritabrata Banerjee, recognised as West Bengal’s leader of the opposition by the speaker on Wednesday, has indicated that his objective is to sideline and isolate TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who is also the party’s parliamentary leader in the Lok Sabha. Ritabrata Banerjee has repeatedly emphasized that Mamata Banerjee remains the group’s leader, and that Abhishek Banerjee has no role in the party.Kalyan Banerjee, Trinamool Congress’ Lok Sabha chief whip and a Mamata Banerjee loyalist said, “It would not be possible to split TMC in Parliament. They have illegally occupied the LoP’s seat in the assembly.” But a second senior MLA of the Ritabrata-led TMC in Kolkata claimed: “The BJP has been in touch with some TMC MPs since May 4, when the poll results were announced. We have now started talking to them.” The MLA, however, added that the group does not “ expect any split in the Rajya Sabha team of the TMC” indicating it might be packed with pro-Mamata lawmakers who would not easily switch sides.Senior TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar quit all party posts last month after she was replaced as chief whip. She also wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla against Kalyan Banerjee. Rajya Sabha MP Babul Supriyo criticised Mamata on Facebook on Thursday saying, “Didi surely made a serious mistake by not cutting off the arms and legs of all those who resorted to corruption, embezzlement of public funds and all kinds of criminal mischief, starting from the time she came to power.”Riju Dutta, an expelled TMC spokesperson told ANI on Thursday, “Dhurandhar Part-1 is the Bengal Assembly, and Dhurandhar Part-2 will be the parliament, because in this situation, no one wants to stay in TMC... I have this much news that 20 MPs have submitted an application form to the BJP’s office, but the BJP is not accepting them. According to the sources, a short list of 9 MPs has been made.”In the assembly elections , results of which were announced on May 4, the BJP swept to power for the first time in West Bengal while the TMC, which ruled the state for 15 years , was reduced to 80 seats. On May 6, Abhishek Banerjee sent a letter to the Bengal assembly speaker, attaching signatures asking veteran TMC leader Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay should be made as the LoP. On May 11, TMC lawmakers Ritabrata and Sandipan Saha lodged a complaint saying that some of the signatures were forged. Ritabrata Banerjee was subsequently expelled by the party.