Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sudeep Bandyopadhyay on Saturday met Union Minister Bhupinder Yadav in Delhi accompanied by rebel Trinamool Congress MP Satabdi Roy.
The meeting comes 24 hours after a group of 19 dissident TMC MPs announced that they are likely to meet TMC chief Om Birla next week to seek recognition as the “true TMC” parliamentary group.
Bandyopadhyay was not among the 19 MPs who signed a letter expressing support for a separate parliamentary party faction in the TMC.
The letter was signed by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, Bappi Haldar, Sharmila Sarkar, Prasoon Bandyopadhyay, Jagadish Barma Basonia, Asit Kumar Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Rachna Banerjee, Sayuni Ghosh, Khalilur Rahman, Abu Tahir Khan, Yusuf Pathan, Mitali Bag, Mala Roy, Kalipada Soren, Deepak. Adhikari, John Mallya and Partha Bhowmick.
Bandyopadhyay’s signing will take the number to 20.
“Mamata has given these people positions and honour. And in return they are doing it. Sudeep Bandyopadhyay has a history of changing political camps. We have warned Mamata Di time and again. He is just misleading Mamata Di to run his programme. I was once suspended for speaking out against him,” said Kunal Ghosh, TMC spokesperson. Now I have been proven right.”
Read also:Banner of 19 MPs and 20 serial numbers: Mystery surrounds the 20 TMC rebels as the two parties split
According to a section of TMC leaders, if Bandyopadhyay joins the rebel camp, it will be a major blow to Banerjee.
The TMC MP from North Kolkata and also the leader of the TMC parliamentary party is known to be a close aide of Banerjee since the party’s founding days.
“What can I do? I spoke to him three-four days ago and he assured me that he is not going anywhere. He said that if he does anything, we will do it together. But then he went to Bhupinder Yadav’s residence,” TMC MP Sujata Roy said, adding that he felt saddened by the move.
“He was never loyal. He is not a political element. He climbed the ladder with the support of Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, former Union minister and Mamata Banerjee. He did nothing for the party. Now Mamata Banerjee is getting to know her crush. I am very happy with what is happening,” said Tapas Roy, a state minister and BJP legislator.
In the Rajya Sabha, the number of TMC seats came down from 13 to 10 with the resignation of three MPs – Sukhendu Sekhar Rai, Sushmita Dave and Prakash Shek Barak.
The party is facing unrest in the state as well as the rebel camp has declared support for 64 legislators and more are likely to join.
