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Kakoli Dastidar said the situation in West Bengal had been “getting from bad to worse” and citing concerns over governance and alleged financial irregularities.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra (Image PTI)
Amis rising tensions within the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) following a crushing defeat in the recenlty held assembly polls, party MP Mahua Moitra on Friday launched a sharp attack on the 19 MPs who have declared support for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), calling them “traitors” and insisting they must resign and seek a fresh mandate from voters on BJP ticket.
In a post on X, rejected claims that the rebel MPs could avoid disqualification under anti-defection provisions, arguing that the Constitution’s 91st Amendment had removed the provision for a split or separate bloc.
“Traitor TMC lawmakers don’t know law. Constitution 91st Amendment 2003 removed provision for split/separate bloc. Number of MPs is irrelevant – 2/3 of original political party has to MERGE with another party. All 19 traitors need to resign and contest on BJP ticket,” she said.
Traitor TMC lawmakers don’t know law. Constitution 91st Amendment 2003 removed provision for split/ separate bloc. Number of MPs is irrelevant- 2/3 of original political party has to MERGE with another party. All 19 traitors need to resign & contest on BJP ticket.— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) June 12, 2026
Her remarks came after a group of 19 dissident TMC MPs, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla last month claiming Dastidar remains the party’s Chief Whip in the House and informing him of their decision to support the NDA.
The rebels have argued that although Mamata Banerjee removed Dastidar as Chief Whip and appointed Kalyan Banerjee in her place, the change was allegedly not formally communicated to the Lok Sabha Secretariat. They contend that Dastidar therefore continues to hold the position in official records.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Dastidar defended the move, saying the situation in West Bengal had been “getting from bad to worse” and citing concerns over governance and alleged financial irregularities.
In a separate interview with The Indian Express, Moitra accused the BJP of attempting to increase its parliamentary strength by engineering defections rather than winning elections. She said that the rebel MPs owed their electoral victories to Mamata Banerjee and accused them of betraying the party leadership.
“Greed and treachery have no limits. The BJP was desperate since the drubbing on the floor of the Lok Sabha, when they did not get the two-thirds majority. So, they’ve done their calculations, and by hook or by crook, they want to get another 40-50 MPs. They do not believe in getting this through elections; they want to do it through jod-tod (breaking parties),” Moitra said.
Referring to the TMC crisis, Moitra remarked that “greed and treachery have no limits”, stressing that all rebel MPs were elected solely because of Mamata Banerjee. “There is not one ounce of uncertainty about who the party is. The party is Mamata Banerjee,” she said.
The rebellion has triggered one of the biggest crises in the TMC following its Assembly election defeat, with resignations and open dissent surfacing within the party.
About the Author
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degre…Read More
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