Kolkata

The internal crisis within the Trinamool Congress appeared to intensify on Monday after senior party leader and Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claimed that around 20 TMC parliamentarians had decided to extend support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and had formally informed Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla of their decision.

The Trinamool Congress currently has 28 members in the Lok Sabha and 12 representatives in the Rajya Sabha.

Speaking to PTI, Ghosh Dastidar said a communication had already been sent to the Speaker expressing the group's intention to support the ruling coalition at the Centre.

"Nearly 20 TMC MPs, including myself, have written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla conveying our decision to support the NDA," she said.

The senior parliamentarian further asserted that she continued to serve as the party's chief whip in the Lok Sabha and maintained that the move had been made after extensive discussions among like-minded MPs.

According to her, the decision reflected a collective political assessment in the wake of recent developments within the party and changing political realities.

The claim comes at a time when the Mamata Banerjee-led outfit is grappling with mounting dissent, with several senior leaders openly expressing dissatisfaction and some already stepping away from the party fold.

Ghosh Dastidar said the MPs who had chosen this course believed that aligning with the NDA was in keeping with the mandate delivered by the people.

"We have accepted the people's verdict and feel that our future political direction should move in tandem with the NDA," she stated.

The Trinamool Congress leadership, however, had not issued any official response to the assertions at the time of filing this report.

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If the claims are substantiated, the development could significantly alter the political equations involving the TMC's parliamentary strength and deepen the ongoing turbulence within the party.