If you ask those in the know, a new kind of disarray has come to light in the TMC with 19 of its Lok Sabha members putting their names to a rebel list and getting ready to stand apart from the rest while they back the NDA. With people like Saayoni Ghosh and Shatrughan Sinha in the mix, it is hard to ignore the possibility of an outright break.
Where did this come to a head? After a low-key get-together at the Delhi home of the BJP’s Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday, according to sources. The ones in dissent are now mulling over what to do next in a way that will put some pressure on how much control Mamata has over her MPs.
What is driving the split
It comes down to who has the say in the TMC’s position in Parliament and how the top brass is viewed. By making common cause with the NDA from the inside, they can change the party’s approach on the floor without having to hand in any resignations or force bypolls, we are told.
The TMC has 28 in the House for now, though there is an open seat after the passing of Basirhat MP Haji Nurul Islam. The rebels would have you believe that what they are doing has already whittled down the numbers behind Mamata in the House.
Who is in the dissenting camp
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar is the one thought to be pulling the strings here; she has put it out that 20 or so of the TMC’s MPs are prepared to make it official with a letter to the Speaker. Of the 19 on the list, you will find a mix from the worlds of film, sport and politics.
Then you have the likes of Mala Roy, Deepak Adhikari, Satabdi Roy, Rachana Banerjee, Abu Taher Khan, Khalilur Rahaman, Jagdish Chandra Basunia, Partha Bhowmick, Bapi Haldar, Mitali Bag, Kalipada Soren, June Malia, Aroop Chakraborty, Sharmila Sarkar and Asit Kumar Mal. Some are old hands in the parliament, others are new.
They are quick to point out they have no plans to walk out of the TMC or into the BJP’s arms. The idea is to be a distinct presence in the House and back the NDA when it counts, all while treading carefully around the anti-defection law.
Strategy to avoid disqualification
There is talk of using the Tenth Schedule to make a case for a bona fide split in the parliamentary party. They want to put it in writing and have the Lok Sabha acknowledge their bloc.
Word is that Ghosh Dastidar will be the one to pen off a note to Om Birla. For those following the plan, that is the first step to make the show of strength mean something in the corridors of power.
Inside the next steps
Here is what is being put in motion:
– A letter to the Speaker to put the NDA on the record as the one they are with
– To be a bloc of their own in the Lok Sabha
– Point to the Tenth Schedule as grounds for the division
– See where things go after the meeting in Delhi with Bhupender Yadav
What this means in Parliament
Should they be given the nod as a bloc, they can make a difference in the numbers on important days and in how they are treated in committees. It is not just a Bengal story; it has the potential to upend the status quo in a session everyone is watching.
Mamata’s lot have a job on their hands: keep the rest of the flock in line and put up a fight to the other side’s version of events. How the Speaker reacts to any correspondence, and if these MPs do in fact side with the NDA, will tell us what to expect.
