India
oi-Gaurav Sharma
The internal strife in the Trinamool Congress is set to enter yet another phase as the West Bengal Assembly Secretariat issued notices to 10 MLAs of the rebel faction over a disqualification petition.
The legislators, including the Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, have been asked to reply on the notices in seven days. They were served the notices after a petition to disqualify them was filed by senior TMC MLA Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, who represents the rebel faction led by Mamata Banerjee.
Amid internal Trinamool Congress disputes, the West Bengal Assembly Secretariat issued notices to 10 MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, regarding a disqualification petition filed by Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, requiring a response within seven days.
The other MLAs, who have been mentioned in the proceeding, are Arup Roy, Firhad Hakim, Sandipan Saha, Akhruzzaman Ansari, Shiuli Saha, Sabina Yasmin, Biplab Mitra, Javed Khan and Rathin Ghosh.
Chattopadhyay had approached the Supreme Court seeking action against the 10 legislators for not taking action under the anti-defection law.
Earlier, he had written to the Assembly Speaker on July 7, accusing them of acting against the party’s interests.
The latest notices have added yet another institutional front to the already simmering dispute inside the TMC, with rows in the courts, Parliament and the Election Commission as well as the organisational and ideological differences between the opposing factions.
The row has seeped even into the post of the Leader of Opposition, with Chattopadhyay challenging Ritabrata Banerjee’s claim to the post before the Calcutta High Court.
The rebel faction has opposed the disqualification petitions and dismissed the notices as regular procedure. Akhruzzaman Ansari confirmed that the notice had been received and said the group would discuss the issue before responding to it.
The battle over the TMC’s organisational and ideological line-up between Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee is also being fought out at the national level, with proceedings initiated by the Election Commission against 20 Lok Sabha MPs associated with the rebel faction for defying the party whip and shifting their allegiance after leaving the TMC.
However, the poll watchdog is simultaneously dealing with rival claims of using the TMC’s name and election symbol by the rival factions. Both have reportedly filed their stand before the Election Commission, which has become a crucial battleground with the West Bengal bypolls around the corner.
The 10 MLAs, who have been directed to reply to the notices within a week, will have to face the Assembly proceedings as a crucible where the battle for TMC’s leadership, organisational control and even its ideological and organisational identity is being fought out.
