Key facts
- A dissident faction of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) intends to petition the Lok Sabha Speaker for recognition as the 'real TMC'.
- The faction claims the support of 19 Lok Sabha members.
- The BJP is observing the internal churn within the Trinamool Congress.
- The BJP is not inclined to merge the rebel MPs into its party.
- Legal battles similar to those involving the LJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP could ensue.
- The BJP may accommodate Rajya Sabha member Sukhendu Shekhar Roy in a future by-election.
A dissident faction within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is preparing to approach the Lok Sabha Speaker to seek recognition as the 'real TMC', asserting that they have the backing of 19 Lok Sabha members. This move follows claims by the BJP that a document bearing 20 TMC MPs' signatures designates Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as the leader of the 'real TMC', rather than Mamata Banerjee.
Sources within the BJP indicate that while several Trinamool MPs are expressing a willingness to support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the party is carefully observing these developments and strategizing its response. The BJP is not in a hurry to make decisions, with its immediate priority being the stabilization of the new government in West Bengal. Although Trinamool leaders are meeting BJP functionaries, the BJP is reportedly not inclined to accommodate all disgruntled Trinamool leaders.
Party leaders have stated that the rebel MPs might write to the Lok Sabha Speaker to claim status as the original Trinamool Congress and elect their own office-bearers. Such an action could potentially lead to a legal battle, mirroring disputes seen with the Lok Janshakti Party, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), where rebel factions eventually secured party symbols and recognition.
Regarding Rajya Sabha members, Sukhendu Shekhar Roy may be accommodated by the BJP for a Rajya Sabha seat once a by-election occurs. However, Sushmita Dev, who resigned from both the Trinamool and the Rajya Sabha, is reportedly not being offered a Rajya Sabha seat, with her interest in working in Assam to be decided by the state leadership. Prakash Baraik is noted as the third Rajya Sabha MP from the Trinamool to have resigned.