Riju Dutta, a suspended spokesperson for the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), said around 50 MLAs are prepared to break away from the party [1].
This potential exodus threatens the stability of the ruling party in West Bengal. If a majority of lawmakers leave, it could trigger a leadership crisis or a change in government control.
Dutta said the group of around 50 MLAs [1] is large enough to tide over the anti-defection law. He said these lawmakers might stake a claim on the party symbol to form what he described as a "real TMC" [1].
The party currently has 80 MLAs [2]. A split of this magnitude would represent more than half of the party's legislative strength in the state.
Other reports suggest a different destination for the dissenting members. Saumitra Khan, a leader with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said 50 out of 80 MLAs of the Trinamool Congress are ready to switch parties [2]. While Dutta described the move as a way to claim the party symbol, Khan said the lawmakers are willing to join the BJP [2].
Internal rifts within the TMC have led to these conflicting accounts of the lawmakers' intentions. The tension centers on whether the dissidents intend to reform the party from within or migrate to an opposing political entity [1], [2].
"Around 50 MLAs, enough to tide over the anti‑defection law," Dutta said [1].
Khan said 50 MLAs are ready to switch [2].
“Around 50 MLAs, enough to tide over the anti‑defection law.”
The discrepancy between Dutta's and Khan's claims highlights a strategic battle over the TMC's future. If lawmakers form a 'real TMC' by claiming the party symbol, they attempt to seize the party's legal identity. Conversely, a mass migration to the BJP would likely result in the collapse of the current government's majority, potentially forcing new elections or a change in administration in West Bengal.
