Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who claims to be leading the rebel bloc in the Lok Sabha, distanced herself from Ritabrata Banerjee’s camp in Bengal on Thursday, suggesting the two groups were pursuing different political objectives.
The development came on a day a third Trinamool Rajya Sabha member — Prakash Chik Baraik — resigned, following in the footsteps of Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and Sushmita Dev.
While Ritabrata, leader of the Opposition in the Bengal Assembly, has positioned himself as a challenger to the BJP in the state, Kakoli has repeatedly asserted that her group of dissidents would lend support to the NDA government at
the Centre.
Asked about the apparent contradiction between Ritabrata’s supposed anti-BJP stance in Bengal and her own support for the NDA, Kakoli told India Today TV she had “nothing to do” with him.
“I have nothing to do with him. He’s in the Assembly and I’m in Parliament. When I started off, I was the only one to raise my voice against this; now, 19 others have joined me, and together we will work for Bengal,” the Barasat MP said.
To another question, Kakoli ruled out Sreerampur MP Kalyan Banerjee joining the rebels despite his recent outburst against Mamata Banerjee’s No. 2 Abhishek Banerjee. She cited her official complaint against his alleged misogyny.
Ritabrata appeared taken aback when asked to respond to Kakoli’s statement dissociating from him.
“Who said what? Come again... Kakolidi? What did she say?” he asked, before laughing when her remarks were read out to him. “I don’t know… best not to get into these things.”
A source later said Kakoli probably resented the “(Ritabrata) Banerjee model” label put on the rebellion she was spearheading in Delhi.
“She believes it should be called the ‘Ghosh Dastidar’ or ‘Kakoli’ model, I suppose,” the source told The Telegraph.
“At the end of the day, all rebel Trinamool factions are controlled by the BJP and have the sole purpose of survival by hook or by crook, with total support to and sustenance from the NDA. Directly or indirectly. So let’s not get carried away by these seeming contradictions.”
To the question about Kalyan, Kakoli cited her complaint to the Lok Sabha Speaker alleging misogyny and harassment by the advocate MP.
“I have submitted a complaint against him to the Speaker. Do you think I will go with him? Most of my anger is against him,” she told the news channel.
Kakoli had signalled her differences with the party even before emerging as the face of the Lok Sabha rebel group.
In a May 28 letter to Speaker Om Birla, she had accused Kalyan of verbally abusing her inside Parliament and displaying misogynistic behaviour towards women MPs, demanding action against him.
“This misogyny has been against many women members and needs to be punished,” she wrote.
The Speaker is likely to refer her complaint to a parliamentary panel.
Kakoli’s remarks came amid continuing uncertainty over the rebel camp’s strength.
The Barasat MP has repeatedly claimed, without revealing names, that 20 of Trinamool’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs had signed a letter to the Speaker seeking recognition as a separate group and backing the NDA government. But sources in the Speaker’s office said no such letter had been received yet.
On Thursday, two MPs said to be among the 20 publicly denied being part of any breakaway move.
Asansol MP Shatrughan Sinha said: “I was with the TMC and Mamataji, I am with the TMC and Mamataji, and I will stay with the TMC and Mamataji.”
Jaynagar MP Pratima Mandal, too, dismissed reports linking her to the rebel camp.
“This news is completely false…. To those spreading this false news, I ask, ‘Why don’t you release that letter bearing everyone’s (rebel MPs’) signatures?’” she told ANI.
Late on Wednesday night, some rebel MPs, including Kakoli, were learnt to have met for a second time at Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav’s residence.
Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, who is in Delhi for the NDA event to mark 12 years of the Narendra Modi government as well as for a Niti Aayog meeting, was present.
Sources in the rebel camp claimed that Jadavpur MP Saayoni Ghosh, perceived as among Mamata’s staunchest loyalists, had attended the meeting and agreed to join the breakawaygroup.
They said MP Mala Roy, too, was present and that both she and Saayoni had signed the letter to be submitted to the Speaker.
Neither Saayoni nor Roy has publicly confirmed or denied the claims.
Kakoli arrived in Calcutta in the evening. “Till now, there are 20 MPs but the number can rise. People are in talks with us. I will return (to Delhi) soon because our work is incomplete,” she told ANI.