Amid buzz of TMC's Lok Sabha unit split, Abhishek Banerjee rushes to Delhi

KOLKATA: Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee flew to Delhi on Saturday, a day ahead of schedule, amid indications that rebel party MPs may make their first move early next week.

The dissidents reportedly plan to write to Speaker Om Birla to remove Abhishek as Trinamool's floor leader in Lok Sabha and formally split the party. Party seniors conceded that overtures have been made to several MPs over Friday and Saturday.

The party currently has 28 members in Lok Sabha following the death of Basirhat MP Haji Nurul Islam. Under anti-defection provisions, a breakaway faction requires the support of at least two-thirds of the parliamentary party - in this case 19 MPs - to form a separate bloc with-out attracting disqualification. The party also holds 13 seats in Rajya Sabha.

Trinamool is battling a precipitating internal crisis over Abhishek's role in the party. The strife began with 58 MLAs submitting a letter to the speaker nominating Ritabrata Banerjee as leader of opposition in assembly over the party's official nominee, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay.

The dissidence, sources said, has now spread to the party's parliamentary unit, and the rebel MPs may write to Speaker Birla on Monday, coinciding with INDIA bloc's meeting in Delhi. This prompted Abhishek to rush to Delhi to keep the flock together, sources said. Party chairperson Mamata Banerjee is expected to reach Delhi on Sunday evening.

A senior parliamentarian, however, said, "As per law, even if two-thirds of MPs wish to leave a party, the only choice they have is to be subsumed into another political party. If they want to change the leadership of the party in Parliament, the Speaker is not the decision-maker. The party chairperson is."

BJP is a political party, not a brass band: Samik
While in Bengal Trinamool MLAs had rebelled over the post of leader of opposition, Trinamool in Lok Sabha is only the third-largest opposition party, behind Congress and Samajwadi Party.

Responding to reports that the saffron leadership is in touch with Trinamool MPs, Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said, “BJP is a political party, not a brass band. We believe in courtesy and aesthetics. If some directionless people, wandering here and there, call us or come to our home, we will speak to them or offer them tea. But this does not mean they are joining BJP. Trinamool was bound to split, either today or tomorrow.”

Trinamool MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who was the first to speak out against the leadership after the Bengal poll debacle, chose not to comment on the fast-paced developments.

“I am saying today what I said yesterday — I am not in Delhi but still in Kolkata. I have not made any calls to anyone, and I have not received any calls.” According to sources, however, Dastidar may take the lead to replace Abhishek as the party’s Lok Sabha floor leader.

Rebel MLA and deputy leader of the party’s new legislative wing, Sandipan Saha, said: “I think a development similar to the one in Bengal assembly is now unfolding in the parliamentary party. This is happening because of the high-handedness of Abhishek Banerjee.”