Amid the continuing political turmoil within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), expelled party leader Ritabrata Banerjee on Tuesday supported the idea of a floor test in the West Bengal Assembly, saying it would settle ongoing speculation and competing claims over the strength of various factions.
Speaking on the issue, Banerjee said a floor test should be conducted if the Speaker considers it necessary. “I am saying this because people outside are making so many statements, and the media is also showing immense interest in these remarks. So, my message to everyone is that if the Speaker feels a floor test needs to happen, let there be a floor test. Once the floor test takes place, all this endless rhetoric and cross-talk will come to an end,” he said.
The remarks come as political uncertainty continues to grow within the ruling party, with rival groups making competing claims about support among legislators and parliamentarians.
Banerjee says people of Bengal have rejected TMC
Responding to reports about TMC chief Mamata Banerjee’s petition in the Calcutta High Court challenging her recent defeat in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, Banerjee said he was not aware of the matter and therefore could not comment on it.
“Regarding Mamata Banerjee’s petition, I am not aware of it, so I cannot comment on that. But what I can say is that the people of Bengal have decisively defeated us. The mandate of the people of Bengal is against us, so not accepting that mandate means being in a denial mode, which is not healthy for democracy,” Banerjee stated.
He further claimed that his faction enjoys the support of more than two-thirds of the MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly and alleged that a similar trend is visible in Parliament.
Claims of growing support in Assembly and Parliament
“As far as the Bengal Assembly is concerned, more than two-thirds of the MLAs are with us. In Parliament, more than two-thirds of the MPs have taken a collective decision, and resignations are currently happening in the Rajya Sabha. It is at 10 right now, but it will soon drop down to single digits,” he claimed.
The rebellion within the TMC has already led to significant political developments. A total of 58 Trinamool Congress MLAs have formed a separate faction in the West Bengal Assembly. Banerjee has also been recognised as the Leader of Opposition by Speaker Rathindra Bose.
Meanwhile, in the Lok Sabha, two-thirds of TMC MPs led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar have merged with the Tripura-based Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The group has also written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking a separate seating arrangement in the lower house.
(with inputs from ANI)
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Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
