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TMC rebel MP Asit Kumar Mal on Monday defended the decision of 20 Lok Sabha MPs to break away from the Trinamool Congress and merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), saying the group was formed to work in the interests of the people and promote regional development.
Speaking amid the political turmoil within the party and MPs' support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Mal said, "20 Lok Sabha MPs have signed to form a group dedicated to the best interests of the people and regional development. We believe that the government's programs will benefit the public, which is why we are supporting them." Explaining the rationale behind the move, he added, "The TMC no longer seems to exist, so the question of being able to work for development while remaining in the party does not arise." Mal also questioned the party leadership over the developments that led to the split. "Regarding who is responsible for the disintegration of the party, only the leadership can answer. Following the elections, no discussions were held concerning our defeat." Rebel TMC MP Satabdi Roy refrained from making detailed comments on the political developments and indicated that the situation could become clearer during the upcoming Parliament session. Roy said, " The next (Parliament) session is in July. Then we will see what would happen." Meanwhile, on Sunday, the political turmoil within the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) escalated sharply as a significant faction of the party announced a rebellion. Rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar confirmed that 20 Lok Sabha MPs have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and will now extend their support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Following a meeting with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Ghosh Dastidar stated that the group, which she claims constitutes more than two-thirds of the party's strength, has requested a separate sitting in Parliament. Speaking with ANI, Dastidar said that the rebel MPs submitted a letter requesting a separate sitting in the Parliament. She said that the MPs will "collaborate" with NDA under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. "We, the twenty MPs elected from the AITC, met the Speaker and submitted a letter requesting to sit separately; these twenty MPs constitute more than two-thirds of our total strength. We are merging with the Nationalist Citizens Party. Moving forward, we will work for the nation and collaborate with the NDA under the leadership of the Prime Minister," she said. (ANI)
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