20 TMC MPs Write To LS Speaker, Lend Support To NDA: Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar

Kolkata : The political crisis in the TMC deepened on Monday after senior party MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claimed that nearly 20 TMC parliamentarians decided to support the NDA and had communicated their position to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
The TMC presently has 28 Lok Sabha MPs and 12 Rajya Sabha MPs.
Speaking to PTI, Ghosh Dastidar said a letter had already been sent to the Speaker conveying the group’s desire to back the ruling alliance at the Centre.
“Nearly 20 TMC MPs, including me, have written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla about our decision to support the NDA,” she said.
Claiming that she continued to be the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha, Ghosh Dastidar said the decision was taken after consultations with fellow MPs.
The development comes amid an intensifying internal crisis within the Mamata Banerjee-led party, which has witnessed open dissent and resignations by senior leaders in recent days.
Ghosh Dastidar said the group had decided to align itself politically with the NDA, arguing that it reflected the popular mandate.
“We have accepted the people’s verdict and believe that our future political course should be aligned with the NDA,” she said.
The TMC leadership has not yet responded to the claims. (Agencies)