Kolkata: The internal power struggle within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal has entered a new phase, with the dispute now reaching the state Assembly. The Assembly Secretariat has issued notices to 10 MLAs associated with the party’s rebel faction, directing them to respond within a week to a petition seeking their disqualification.
The development comes a day after TMC MLA Sovandeb Chattopadhyay approached the Supreme Court seeking the disqualification of 10 rebel legislators under the Anti-Defection Law. The petition includes Ritabrata Banerjee, described as the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.
The faction aligned with Mamata Banerjee alleges that the activities of the rebel legislators amount to anti-party conduct and fall within the provisions governing defection. The MLAs have now been asked to submit their responses to the disqualification petition.
The MLAs reported to have received notices from the Assembly Secretariat are:
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Ritabrata Banerjee
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Arup Roy
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Firhad Hakim
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Sandipan Saha
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Akhruzzaman Ansari
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Shiuli Saha
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Sabina Yasmin
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Biplab Mitra
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Javed Khan
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Rathin Ghosh
Confirming receipt of the Assembly Secretariat’s notice, Akhruzzaman Ansari said the matter would be discussed in detail within the group before an official response is submitted within the stipulated timeframe.
Representatives of the rebel faction, meanwhile, described the notices as part of the normal legal and legislative process and maintained that there was no cause for concern.
The disqualification proceedings mark a further escalation in the TMC’s internal dispute, bringing what had largely been an intra-party confrontation into the legislative and legal arena.
