Saayoni Ghosh, Mamata Banerjee's fiercest backer, part of 20 TMC MPs' rebel camp?

SAayoni Ghosh, francis scott key leader of the Trinamool us congress (TMC) Jadavpur MP, is learnt to feature united the renegade camp - a development that will be the biggest jolt to former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee amid her struggle to keep her party intact after the state election loss.Ghosh, who emerged as the most prominent voices against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a staunch Mamata Banerjee support during the campaign for the recently concluded West Bengal elections, is yet to confirm the move, though people familiar with the matter told HT she may already have picked a side and is part of the rebel group in what is emerging as the All India Trinamool Congress’s biggest crisis since its inception.In April, the BJP strongly criticised Saayoni Ghosh, accusing her of making remarks that allegedly insult Sikh and Punjabi communities, after she used the word “Chaddi [underpants]” to refer to former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha's switch to the BJP. In a video shared by the West Bengal BJP on its official X account, Ghosh was seen commenting, "Chaddha can become chaddi, Saayoni cannot", directed at Raghav Chadha.Who is Saayoni GhoshA former Bengali actor, Saayoni Ghosh became politically prominent during recent Bengal election campaigns. She became associated with "Kaaba" and "Madina" because of a campaign speech/song in which she quoted or sang the line:“Mere dil mein hai Kaaba, aur mere aankhon mein Madina [Kaaba is in my heart, Madina in my eyes]".The line was used during an election rally to project communal harmony.Before entering full-time politics, she was known for her work in Bengali films, television and web series. She joined the TMC ahead of the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections and quickly became one of the party's most visible campaigners because of her fiery speeches targeting the BJP and her strong public support for Mamata Banerjee. This is the latest setback for Mamata Banerjee, TMC founder, who has been facing back-to-back blows from party leaders days after losing the elections. While 58 of party's total 80 MLAs, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, rebelled openly last week, staking claim to become the principal Opposition party in Bengal, MP Kakoli Ghosh on Monday offered support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) claiming that she has backing of 19 MPs — including Saayoni Ghosh, if speculation is to be believed.Ritabrata Banerjee was recognised as West Bengal’s leader of the opposition by the state assembly speaker last Wednesday. "Meanwhile, Sushmita Dev resigned as Rajya Sabha MP and said she has quit the TMC, days after the resignation of Sukhendu Sekhar Ray from the Upper House. "I do hereby resign from the membership of Rajya Sabha, which may please be accepted with immediate effect," Dev wrote in the letter addressed to Rajya Sabha chairman CP Radhakrishnan.Saayoni Ghosh was earlier this month re-appointed as president of the Trinamool Youth Congress, with Madhurima Thakur as general secretary.(with inputs from Saubhadra Chatterji)