Mamata Banerjee has appointed Kalyan Banerjee as the Chief Whip of TMC in Lok Sabha, following a rebellion by 20 MPs who supported NDA and chose Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as their Chief Whip.
TMC Parliamentary Group Leadership Dispute: Mamata Banerjee Appoints Kalyan Banerjee as Chief Whip
Mamata Banerjee has appointed Kalyan Banerjee as the Chief Whip of TMC in Lok Sabha, following a rebellion by 20 MPs who supported NDA and chose Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as their Chief Whip.
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TMC MPs in a meeting amid leadership dispute · NewsDarpan AI
TMC parliamentary group chairperson Mamata Banerjee has appointed Kalyan Banerjee as the Chief Whip of the party in Lok Sabha. She has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla requesting immediate recognition of this appointment. This decision comes after 20 of TMC's 28 Lok Sabha MPs rebelled and decided to support the NDA government. These MPs selected Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as their Chief Whip and sent a signed letter to the Speaker, seeking recognition as a separate parliamentary block.
Kakoli Ghosh stated on Monday that she remains the Chief Whip in Lok Sabha, despite leaving TMC on May 27 without resigning as an MP. She emphasized her long association with Mamata Banerjee since 1986 and expressed her determination to continue her political journey. Meanwhile, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghosh criticized the rebellion, calling it "shameful" and attributing it to "moral collapse" after a call from Amit Shah.
The rebellion has raised questions about the application of anti-defection laws. Since the rebel group constitutes two-thirds of TMC's Lok Sabha MPs, they may not face disqualification. The NDA's strength in Lok Sabha could increase from 293 to 313 MPs, potentially easing the passage of key bills. This development follows a similar split in TMC's Bengal assembly, where 58 MLAs formed a separate group under Ritabrata Banerjee.