64 of 80 TMC MLAs turn rebel? Trouble mounts for Mamata as Ritabrata ready for floor test

NEW DELHI: West Bengal leader of opposition Ritabrata Banerjee on Friday claimed the support of 64 of the Trinamool Congress 's 80 MLAs in the state assembly, amounting to more than two-thirds of the party's legislative strength. He said the names had been submitted to the Speaker and asserted that his majority would be proven if a floor test were held. "Just as the rebel MPs submitted their list to the Lok Sabha Speaker in Parliament, the rebel TMC MLAs also submitted their list to the assembly Speaker. The number of MLAs with us currently stands at 64. If the Speaker feels it is necessary, he can order a floor test. We will prove our strength in how many MLAs are with us," PTI quoted Ritabrata Banerjee saying.

"Whether the number increases or not, we will know by Monday or Tuesday," he added. Addressing the reports regarding 20 Lok Sabha MPs rebelling against TMC, he said, "I will not be surprised if more than 20 MPs are found to be associated with the rebellion. A Member of Parliament has a right to raise questions. But we were told that questions would come from a particular place or a research team. I did not submit a single question during my last Rajya Sabha session because I objected to that system". Speaking on Kalyan Banerjee's remarks targeting the party leadership, Ritabrata said the veteran parliamentarian had merely voiced concerns long raised by the dissident camp.

"What he said individually is something we have been saying collectively for a long time," he said. The twin rebellions have triggered TMC's most serious organisational crisis since its inception in 1998, with the party dismissing the dissidents' claims as politically motivated while the rebels continue to assert their numerical strength in the assembly and Parliament.