Kolkata

Amid continuing political unrest within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), expelled party leader Ritabrata Banerjee on Tuesday supported the idea of conducting a floor test in the West Bengal Assembly, saying it would help settle competing claims regarding legislative support and bring clarity to the ongoing political situation.

Addressing the media, Banerjee said that if the Assembly Speaker considers it necessary, a floor test should be held to determine the actual strength of various groups within the legislature.

He remarked that numerous statements and counter-statements were being made in the public domain, attracting significant media attention. According to him, a floor test would provide a definitive answer to questions surrounding political alignments and end the speculation.

Responding to reports that Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had approached the Calcutta High Court to challenge her defeat in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, Banerjee said he was not familiar with the details of the matter and therefore could not comment on it.

However, he asserted that the electoral verdict delivered by the people of West Bengal should be respected. He said that the electorate had clearly voted against the party and that refusing to accept the mandate would amount to political denial, which he described as unhealthy for democratic functioning.

Banerjee further claimed that more than two-thirds of the Trinamool Congress legislators in the state assembly were aligned with his faction. He also alleged that a similar shift was taking place among the party's parliamentary representatives.

According to him, a substantial majority of the party's MPs had collectively taken decisions independent of the current leadership, while resignations from the Rajya Sabha were continuing. He claimed that the number of TMC members in the Upper House would decline further in the coming days.

The developments come against the backdrop of an ongoing rebellion within the Trinamool Congress. According to claims made by Banerjee's camp, 58 party MLAs have formed a separate group in the West Bengal Assembly, and Speaker Rathindra Bose has recognised Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition.

At the national level, supporters of the rebel faction have also asserted that a large section of Trinamool Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, have merged with the Tripura-based Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). They have reportedly approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking separate seating arrangements in the House.

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The political developments have intensified speculation over the future of the Trinamool Congress as internal divisions continue to widen following the party's electoral setback in West Bengal.