Weeks after a massive setback in state polls and discord among legislators, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Bengal is facing another rebellion by several MPs who have started cozying up to the BJP.
The rebellion, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, became public after she wrote to Speaker Om Birla saying that 20 of the total 28 TMC MPs wanted to be part of the BJP-led NDA.
Although Kakuli claimed the support of 20 rebel MPs, at least 14 MPs attended a meeting at Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav’s residence in New Delhi. A photo showed Prasun Banerjee, Anoop Chakraborty, Jagadish Chandra Barma Basonia, Asit Kumar Mal, Satabdi Roy, Kalipada Soren and Sharmila Sarkar among those present at the minister’s residence.
The Mamata-led camp now has the support of Kirti Azad, Mahua Moitra, Sujata Roy and other loyalists. The political fate of many other people is not yet known.
Shatrughan Sinha was silent
While the TMC leaders have chosen sides amid the ongoing row, there is one ‘silence’ that has left the TMC leadership baffled – that of Bollywood veteran and Asansol MP Shatrughan Sinha.
Shatrughan Sinha, who originally hails from Bihar, has a similar political trajectory to that of his party colleague Kirti Azad.
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Like Azad, Shatrughan also switched between the BJP and the Congress, finally joining the Trinamool Congress. Both leaders have shifted their political base from Bihar to Delhi, thanks to Mamata’s “generosity” and the large migrant voter base that the TMC is seeking to capture.
On Tuesday, when most of the TMC MPs chose to either attend Mamata’s meeting or Kakoli Bhupendra Yadav’s meeting, Sinha was nowhere to be seen.
Known for his trademark “Khamosh!” Through dialogue and frank style, Shatrughan has maintained silence even as his party faces the biggest challenge in its two-and-a-half-decade history.
“Khamosh!” (Silence!) was the Bollywood actor’s trademark phrase during his heyday in the 1970s and 1980s, and appears in many of his songs, including Kalicharan, Kaala Patthar and Dostana.
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Although Shatrughan’s name did not figure in Kakoli’s list of 20 rebels, he was not seen supporting Mamata’s camp.
Apart from Shatrughan, a Bollywood celebrity, TMC includes two other TV stars – Sayoni Ghosh, a well-known Bengali TV actor and Deepak Adhikari, popularly known as Dev.
While Sayoni Ghosh is likely to remain within Mamata’s fold, Deepak Adhikari has sided with the rebel faction.
Why does supporting people over 19 matter?
Although Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has claimed the support of nearly 20 TMC MPs, the number will ultimately decide the fate of the rebels.
Kakoli and her rebel camp need at least 19 MPs to change their position without losing their membership in the Lok Sabha. One provision of the anti-defection law states that representatives cannot be disqualified while leaving the party or voting against party instructions if at least two-thirds of lawmakers from the party agree to merge with another party.
However, Mamata loyalists said Kakoli did not have the required numbers. Bardhaman-Durgapur MP Kirti Azad said only 13 MPs – 12 from Lok Sabha and one from Rajya Sabha – attended the rebel meeting.
