NEW DELHI: West Bengal's leader of opposition, Ritabrata Banerjee, on Friday asserted that he has the backing of 64 of the Trinamool Congress's 80 MLAs in the state assembly, representing more than two-thirds of the party's legislative strength. He stated that the names have been submitted to the Speaker and insisted that his majority would be confirmed if a floor test were conducted.
Rebel MLAs Submit List to Speaker
In a move mirroring the rebel MPs' submission of their list to the Lok Sabha Speaker, the dissident TMC MLAs have also provided their list to the assembly Speaker, according to Ritabrata Banerjee. He was quoted by PTI as saying, "The number of MLAs with us currently stands at 64. If the Speaker feels it is necessary, he can order a floor test. We will prove our strength in how many MLAs are with us."
He added, "Whether the number increases or not, we will know by Monday or Tuesday."
Rebellion May Extend Beyond 20 MPs
Addressing reports that 20 Lok Sabha MPs are rebelling against the TMC, Ritabrata Banerjee remarked, "I will not be surprised if more than 20 MPs are found to be associated with the rebellion." He criticized the party's system of directing questions from a specific source, explaining that he refrained from submitting any questions during his last Rajya Sabha session due to his objection to that system. "A Member of Parliament has a right to raise questions. But we were told that questions would come from a particular place or a research team," he noted.
Kalyan Banerjee's Remarks Reflect Dissident Concerns
Commenting on Kalyan Banerjee's critical remarks against the party leadership, Ritabrata Banerjee said the veteran parliamentarian had simply voiced concerns that the dissident camp has long been raising. "What he said individually is something we have been saying collectively for a long time," he stated.
Deepening Crisis for TMC
The twin rebellions in the assembly and Parliament have triggered the most serious organizational crisis for the Trinamool Congress since its formation in 1998. While the party has dismissed the dissidents' claims as politically motivated, the rebels continue to assert their numerical strength in both houses, challenging the party leadership's authority.
