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NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: Rebel TMC LS members plan to meet Speaker Om Birla Monday to seek recognition as the “real TMC” parliamentary group, dissident Cooch Behar MP Jagadish Chandra Basunia said Friday, prompting strong reactions from the faction led by party chief Mamata Banerjee.“The group has already submitted a representation to LS Speaker to stake claim,” Basunia said on a day screenshots of a purported list of names and signatures of 19 dissident TMC LS members, including Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Saayoni Ghosh and Mala Roy, surfaced online.While none from the rebel camp contested the screenshots, almost everyone voiced grievance against Abhishek Banerjee.Lashing out, Abhishek said, “BJP has been trying many tactics — from creating rift in our party to intimidating party workers, taking over party offices, and destroying our organisation. But no matter what they do, they cannot deny the fact that 2.6 crore people voted for us and we got a 41% votes. We will continue to fight against this oppression.”Basunia said there is no question of ED or CBI and “those who have signed the letter have consciously chosen to support BJP-led NDA”. The letter, for which he claimed collection of signatures began on June 8 and 19 MPs have signed, is not on public domain.According to sources, CM Suvendu Adhikari may also reach Delhi on Sunday.
6 more MLAs have joined us: Rebels
TMC’s rebel bloc in Bengal assembly claimed to have grown stronger Friday, with LoP Ritabrata Banerjee asserting six more MLAs had joined them, taking the camp’s strength to 64 legislators, and said a floor test could be conducted to verify support.“Just as rebel MPs submitted their list to the LS Speaker in Parliament, the rebel TMC MLAs have also submitted their list to the assembly Speaker,” he said. The LoP’s claims come against the backdrop of several Trinamool MLAs publicly voicing grievances against the party leadership. Maheshtala MLA Ashok Deb, who was seen alongside TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee even after the party’s poll debacle, launched a scathing attack on the leadership’s decision-making process.
Abhishek, Kalyan bury hatchet?
TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee on Friday extended an olive branch to his party and LS colleague Kalyan Banerjee, saying the latter “had every right to criticise him”, a day after the senior advocate called on party chief Mamata Banerjee to choose between him and her nephew. Abhishek said, “Kalyan Banerjee has every right to criticise me. He has raised me… I am neither angry nor hurt. I have always respected him and will continue to do so.” Kalyan responded: “Abhishek is like my own child. As an elder, I deserve a certain amount of respect. If he shows me that basic respect, I can embrace him and work with him. I have absolutely no objection to that.”
