INDIA Bloc Meet In Delhi Today; Mamata Banerjee Among Key Participants

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee reached Mew Delhi on Sunday, a day before a meeting of the INDIA Bloc. Meanwhile, speculation has intensified about a possible split among party MPs. The former West Bengal Chief Minister was accompanied by Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen and senior Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee.

What about Abhishek Banerjee?

TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee arrived in the national capital on Saturday. The party leadership is grappling with signs that the rebellion could spread to the parliamentary party after losing control of the legislative party in the West Bengal Assembly.

In preparation for assessing the internal situation, the TMC's top leadership,
including Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, were initially scheduled to travel to Delhi together on Sunday, but Abhishek, the Diamond Harbour MP, left a day earlier. 

According to sources, the TMC's top leadership will conduct an internal assessment of the party's internal situation before Monday's meeting of the All India Alliance. Indeed, there are reports that disgruntled leaders and MPs may attempt to create a similar situation in Parliament as was recently witnessed in the Assembly.

What happen in TMC?

Mamata Banerjee suffered one of the biggest setbacks since the party's inception when 58 of the TMC's 80 MLAs parted ways from the party's official legislative party last week. This group, led by expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, was also recognised as the main opposition party in the Assembly. 

Sources familiar with the developments claimed that efforts are underway to garner support from MPs in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Several rounds of meetings are expected during Mamata Banerjee's stay in Delhi to keep the party united. There are indications that the rebel MPs may take a major step in the next few days. 

What about rebel TMC?

Rebel TMC MLA and new legislative party deputy leader Sandipan Saha has claimed that similar developments in the West Bengal Assembly are now being witnessed within the parliamentary party in New Delhi. Following the TMC's defeat in last month's assembly elections, several leaders have openly questioned Abhishek Banerjee and his style of functioning.

Following the death of Basirhat MP Haji Nurul Islam, the TMC's strength in the Lok Sabha has been reduced to 28. Under the anti-defection law, a breakaway group requires the support of at least two-thirds of the parliamentary party to gain recognition. As of now, the number stands at 19 in the Lok Sabha. The TMC has 13 MPs in the Rajya Sabha. Mamata Banerjee cancels a crucial meeting with her party's councillors at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Sunday. The councillors, who were asked to be present at the party's state headquarters, Trinamool Bhavan, on the eastern outskirts of Kolkata, have already been notified of the cancellation. 

Sunday's meeting with KMC councillors was considered important because Firhad Hakim, former Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister of West Bengal and former KMC Mayor, has resigned. Following his resignation, the new state government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari sent a notice to KMC officials on Saturday evening asking them to explain why the Trinamool Congress-controlled board in KMC should not be dissolved following the mayor's resignation.