The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is planning to take legal action over West Bengal Assembly Speaker’s decision to appoint TMC rebel Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition, with party MP Kalyan Banerjee terming the decision “illegal”.
“We have decided that the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker is illegal. We will approach the court against this order on Monday. We will file a petition in the Supreme Court,” Banerjee said. He also accused the BJP of “killing” TMC workers and filing false cases against them.
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“We will fight in the streets, we will fight in court,” Kalyan said after party leader and former chief minister Mamata Banerjee held a meeting at her residence in Kolkata’s Kalighat area on Friday.
While the TMC has yet to accept the crushing election defeat at the hands of the BJP last month, it is now reeling from a revolt after 58 MLAs demanded to become the main opposition party in Bengal, splitting the party vertically.
Who all attended the TMC meeting at Mamata’s residence?
A total of 14 party leaders, including eight MLAs (out of 80) and only six MPs, attended the party meeting called by Mamata at her residence. Among the leaders, according to the news agency ANI, are:
MLAs
- Bina Mondal
- Ashima Patra
- Madan Mitra
- Kunal Ghosh
- Farhad Hakim
- Subhandeep Chattopadhyay
- Biman Banerjee
- Ashok Kumar Deb
Representatives
- Dolla Sin
- Mala Roy
- Kalyan Banerjee
- Abhishek Banerjee
- Derek O’Brien
- Sudip Bandyopadhyay
Next MP rebellion?
As the crisis surrounds the TMC, veteran Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy hinted that the revolt that has rocked the party’s legislative wing may eventually find resonance among its MPs as well, news agency PTI reported.
Roy said the scale and speed of the rebellion in Parliament was unprecedented, and noted that similar political reactions could emerge in Parliament in the coming months.
“I have never seen around 60 MLAs leaving in such a short period of time. What I am saying is that a similar reaction is likely to happen in the Lok Sabha as well,” Roy said.
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The comments immediately sparked speculation in political circles about possible fault lines within the TMC’s parliamentary ranks, especially as the party grapples with the fallout of its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections and an open challenge to Mamata Banerjee’s authority from within.
The TMC has 13 Rajya Sabha MPs, of whom only six attended the party meeting called by Mamata.
Firhad Hakim resigns from the post of Mayor of Kolkata
TMC MLA Firhad Hakim announced his resignation from the post of Mayor of Kolkata on Friday amid growing problems for the TMC.
Announcing his resignation, Hakim said: “I am resigning from the post of mayor of Kolkata because I am unable to work and cannot disrespect the president.”
