New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): Rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar on Monday said she would not yield to political pressure after announcing that a faction of 20 MPs has formally requested the Lok Sabha Speaker for separate seating arrangements.
Speaking to ANI, she emphasised her decades-long commitment to the state and her resolve to chart an independent path, citing “maladministration, lawlessness and unemployment” in West Bengal as reasons for her exit.
Dismissing charges of opportunism, she said, “Mera sar katega lekin jhukega nahi… Maine bohot seh liya… I did not come here after Mamata Banerjee became Chief Minister in 2011; I have been fighting here for 40 years. And as I said, the words of such people have absolutely no effect on me.”
Ghosh Dastidar explained that her decision to separate from the TMC stems from deep dissatisfaction with the party’s current state of affairs and governance issues in West Bengal.
“Maine bohot seh liya (I have endured enough). I did not come here after Mamata Banerjee became Chief Minister in 2011; I have been fighting here for 40 years. And as I said, the words of such people have absolutely no effect on me,” she added.
MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar emphasised that her primary focus remains on national interests and the security of the country, setting aside internal political conjecture.
“We will see what happens later. For now, isn’t it enough that we want to work for Bengal, for the country, and to keep India secure? This is a crucial issue; the issue of the nation is paramount to us,” she said.
Addressing questions regarding whether West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had attempted to initiate dialogue, the veteran leader stated there has been a complete lack of communication from the party leadership.
Recalling her resignation as District Chairperson following unfavourable election results, Ghosh Dastidar expressed disillusionment with how she was treated. “I took personal responsibility for the poor outcome, thinking perhaps I hadn’t performed my role effectively, and stepped down. Even after that, no one met me or even called; I was simply cast aside,” she said.
The MP, who has been associated with Banerjee for four decades, further lamented the deterioration of their professional relationship. “I have been with Mamata Banerjee for 40 years. I never imagined I would live to see a day when she would instruct someone to hurl abuse at me. It was as if they unleashed someone to bark,” she added.
Earlier, Dastidar escalated the internal crisis within her party by announcing that a faction of 20 MPs had formally requested the Lok Sabha Speaker for separate seating arrangements.
“We are 20 MPs who have requested the Speaker for separate seating, and we will be working in conjunction with the Central and State Government for the development of West Bengal,” she told ANI.
“We are against the lawlessness, misgovernance and unemployment in the state of West Bengal over the past few years. Things have been getting from bad to worse, and I have been with Mamata Banerjee for 40 years… It is useless to say that just because she is not in power in West Bengal, I have left. It is not that…,” she added.
Ghosh alleged that in the last three to four years, the pressure was too much on the government officers to work according to the whims and fancies of certain leadership.
“We want to work for the development of the state and for the national interest and the safety and security of the nation. That is why we want to work separately,” she said.
The development comes amid intensifying internal turmoil following the party’s defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, which saw the state elect its first BJP government.
Meanwhile, the anti-defection law requires a faction to have at least two-thirds of the party’s strength to avoid automatic disqualification.
With the TMC holding 28 seats, the rebels only need the support of 19 MPs to make their move legally viable. With Kakoli claiming the support of 20, it appears curtains for the Mamata Banerjee faction.
The unfolding events present the most significant parliamentary challenge yet for the TMC leadership, signalling a volatile new chapter in West Bengal’s political landscape.
The party had earlier faced rebellion by its MLAs, with expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee stating that 58 TMC legislators have been given recognition in the assembly as the opposition group. (ANI)