Mumbai, Jun 15 (PTI) The rebel MPs of the Trinamool Congress who have announced a merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India have automatically forfeited their claim on the parent party, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said on Monday, alleging that NCPI is propped up by the BJP.
Sudip Bandyopadhyay, who belongs to the rebel group, said on Sunday that they would fight a legal battle to seek recognition as the real TMC and secure its poll symbol.
“Merger with the NCPI was the only option for the rebel MPs (to avoid disqualification). So their claim on the TMC and its symbol is over,” said Raut, whose own party lost its original name and election symbol to the Eknath Shinde-led Sena following a split in 2022.
Raut further said the rebel MPs have merged with the NCPI despite the candidates of the little-known Tripura-based outfit losing their deposits in the assembly elections.
He accused the BJP of forming parties like the NCPI and pushing opposition MPs into them “like they were slaves”.
NCPI, a little-known political outfit that fielded four candidates in the 2023 Tripura assembly elections with the slogan “reject political turncoats to save your rights”, was catapulted into the national limelight on Sunday after dissident TMC MPs announced the merger of the group with it.
The battle for control of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is being fought simultaneously in Parliament and the West Bengal Assembly.
Last week, 64 of the party’s 80 MLAs broke away and secured recognition as a separate formation, with their leader Ritabrata Banerjee being recognised as Leader of Opposition.
The decision has been challenged by the Mamata Banerjee-led group before the Calcutta High Court.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam on Monday alleged that a lack of communication among the leadership, party workers, and arrogance were responsible for the current condition of Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT), comparing it with the plight of rebellion-hit TMC.
Nirupam claimed Sena (UBT) MPs had openly claimed that Uddhav and his son Aaditya Thackeray do not meet them.
“They (Uddhav and Aaditya) also abandoned party workers in the recently-held local body polls, causing resentment among the party’s MLAs and MPs,” he claimed.
Nirupam, however, dismissed reports about “Operation Tiger” as a rumour.
A buzz about Operation Tiger stemmed from speculation that six to seven MPs of the Sena (UBT) are planning to switch their loyalties to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Nirupam said Shiv Sena does not need to undertake any such operation. PTI PR KRK NSK
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