Kolkata: Trinamool’s rebel MP camp swelled to 20 on Saturday after veteran Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay took a morning flight to Delhi and first met Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav at his residence and then Union home minister Amit Shah later in the day.Sudip’s late flip indicates his wife and Chowringhee MLA, Nayna Bandopadhyay, is set to replicate his move in Bengal assembly. The rebel bloc is likely to huddle over dinner on Sunday and meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday to stake claim as “real Trinamool Congress” with the request to be considered a part of NDA. Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari is also reaching Delhi on Sunday.Sudip’s last-minute switch pushed Trinamool towards an even graver crisis since he, till Friday, was privy to the counter-strategy being chalked out by Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. As soon as Sudip was spotted hopping into a car with rebel MP Satabdi Roy at New Delhi airport, party seniors including Abhishek, Derek O’Brien, Saugata Roy, Kalyan Banerjee and MLA Sovandeb Chattopadhyay dashed to Mamata’s Kalighat home.Adding to Trinamool’s woes, party veteran Manas Bhunia WhatsApped his resignation from the party to Mamata late on Saturday.Advocate-MP Kalyan Banerjee indicated Trinamool has no immediate legal recourse to stem the haemorrhage till Speaker Birla takes a decision on the rebel group’s claim. Both Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Satabdi have said their bloc intends to back NDA. Satabdi, who accompanied Sudip to meet Yadav, refused to speak to the media. Sudip and wife Nayna did not respond to calls.With Sudip joining the rebel bloc, he is tipped to head the rebel camp in place of Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar. Several rebel MPs are reluctant to accept Kakoli’s leadership, sources said. Sudip is a six-time MP and seniormost among the dissidents.As the developments unfolded in Delhi, Maniktala BJP MLA and minister Tapas Roy did not mince words. “He (Sudip) rose in his career by clinging to someone or the other for support, sometimes it was Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi and at other times Mamata Banerjee. They have done absolutely nothing, neither for public nor for any party. Now Mamata Banerjee is realising the reality of the people because of whom she has reached this state today. For the sake of these individuals, she insulted, disrespected, and demeaned many true political workers. Therefore, whatever is happening is for the best, and I am very happy.”Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh’s response was on similar lines. “What can I say? I was the one who wanted to retain Sajal Ghosh (MLA) and Tapas-da in Trinamool. I was suspended for it (speaking out against Sudip). Despite knowing him (Sudip’s history of past defections), Mamata Banerjee placed her trust in him. And again, she has been betrayed. This is great marketing by BJP — buy 1 get 1 free. I just have one question: Can these people (the rebels) win any election on their own, without help from Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool? Sudip is known for his flips, but for some reason Didi trusted him over those who are much better and more committed.“Rebel bloc member and Burdwan East MP Sharmila Sarkar told TOI that all Trinamool MPs would slowly join their camp, adding that when more than two-thirds of a party leaves, “you have to understand there was a problem”.Murshidabad MP Abu Taher Khan told reporters that neither he nor Jangipur MP Khalilur Rehman would ever join BJP. “We will extend issue-based support to NDA,” he claimed.Former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale claimed that dissident TMC MPs seeking recognition as a separate parliamentary group would face disqualification if they backed the BJP-led NDA. He asserted that the anti-defection law offered no legal protection for a “split.” In a post on X, Gokhale accused the rebel MPs of failing to understand the legal position and alleged that they were attempting to transfer the mandate received on a Trinamool Congress (TMC) ticket to the BJP.“The TMC traitor MPs have been so excited by the crores given by the BJP that they haven’t bothered to read the law,” he said. Gokhale noted that the Constitution’s 91st Amendment removed provisions relating to a split and argued that forming a separate parliamentary group enjoyed “zero protection under the law.” “The ‘split’ attempt is dead,” he said.
