Rebel Trinamool Congress MPs are set to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday seeking recognition as a separate group. They claim the backing of 19 out of 28 TMC MPs and plan to align with the NDA.
Cooch Behar MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia said the faction wants Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as leader and Satabdi Roy as deputy leader. The group also plans to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari in Delhi on Sunday.
Basunia stated the rebels aim to be recognised as the real TMC and sit alongside NDA MPs. He cited the high-handedness of Abhishek Banerjee as a key reason for the split.
In a related development the party lost its Delhi base after MP Partha Bhowmick vacated the bungalow at 20 Dr Rajendra Prasad Road that served as its operational headquarters. Bhowmick who is among the 19 rebels received a new allotment on June 9.