Letter would be out if they had 20: Mahua Moitra challenges claim by TMC rebels

WIth several lawmakers exiting the Trinamool us congress and venture mounting o'er farther defections, the company is facing one of its biggest political challenges in recent years.Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra in an interview with HT has dismissed claims that the rebel camp has the support of 20 MPs, arguing that if such numbers existed, "there would have been a letter out" and a public show of strength by now.Speaking to HT after the resignation of party colleague Sushmita Dev, Moitra said the burden of proving the numbers lies with those making the claim.Also read | 'Sar katega, jhukega nai': TMC's Kakoli Ghosh after bye to Mamata, hi to NDA with 19 rebels“They have 16, they have been claiming that they have 20. Now, the onus is on them. If they really had 20, I’m sure there would have been a letter out, there would have been signatures out, there would have been a joint press conference (with the BJP). I can categorically tell you that they don’t have 20 MPs.”'Even if they had 20, what would it get them?'Moitra argued that merely having a group of MPs does not automatically create a recognised faction under the anti-defection law. She said that for the law not to apply, two-thirds of the political party—not just the legislative party—must move away and merge with the BJP.Also read | ‘I have respect for Suvendu, rebels should have quit like him’: Mahua Moitra“For (the) anti-defection (law) not to apply, two-thirds of not the legislative party, but the political party has to move away. And not only move away, they have to merge with the BJP. So a) you have to have two-thirds, not even 19, two-thirds of the political party, which they don’t have.”She further added, "(b) Even if they did have 20, what would it get them? That you can sit aside (from the TMC). Apart from sitting aside, there is no room for any separate faction or block to be recognised in the Lok Sabha or in the Assembly. They are free to call themselves Kakoli Congress or Shatabdi Congress or BJP-B team in Bengal and sit aside. So they are welcome to sit aside and vote for the BJP. Nobody can stop that. But that’s the end of their Lok Sabha career.”20 TMC MPs claimBarasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar — who resigned from all TMC posts late last month - said the rebel group decided to support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), adding that she has the support of nearly 20 MPs.The rebels need at least 19 of the 28 Lok Sabha members — 2/3rd of the total party MPs — of the TMC to escape anti-defection proceedings.“Nearly 20 TMC MPs, including me, have decided to support the NDA for Bengal’s development. We have decided to write to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and formally support the NDA,” the earlier HT report quoted as saying the four-term MP.“The letter has already reached the speaker. We have sought separate seating arrangements as a separate bloc,” she added later in the evening.On Sushmita Dev's resignationWhen asked for Moitra's first reaction to Sushmita Dev's exit, she said individuals are free to make their own political choices while noting that the TMC had given Dev a Rajya Sabha seat twice.“People are free. It’s a free country. She was in the Congress. She left the Congress and came to us. We gave her a Rajya Sabha (seat), not once, but twice. And for whatever reason... She’ll have to answer to that, as to why she’s gone. I’m not responsible for what she’s done.”She also referred to the resignation of Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and said it remains to be seen whether those leaving the party eventually join the BJP.“We have 13 Rajya Sabha MPs, of which Sukhendu Sekhar Roy resigned. And now Sushmita Dev has resigned. Let us see what happens, whether they come back as BJP MPs or the BJP fields somebody else in their space from Bengal.”Calls party exits a 'cleansing'Despite the departures, Moitra insisted the mood within the party is not one of despair. Instead, she described the ongoing exits as beneficial.“In some ways, we’re actually happy because the shuddhi karan, the cleansing, is happening.”She said Mamata Banerjee is an emotional leader who has remained loyal to people over the years, unlike what she described as the BJP's ruthless political culture.“Mamata Di, for all her instincts, for all her leadership, is a deeply emotional person with a great deal of affection and long-lasting loyalties.”According to Moitra, several leaders who benefited politically under Banerjee should have been removed earlier.“So a lot of these completely useless, rude people who have ridden on Mamata Di’s tails for the past 15 years... She should have cut them away.”