The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing a deepening internal crisis marked by fresh resignations and an escalating rebellion, even as its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to discuss opposition coordination and the future of the INDIA bloc.
Opposition alliance INDIA on Thursday boycotted a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Rajya Sabha to protest Prime Minister Narendra Modi not making a statement on Manipur violence in Parliament, a senior leader said.
Dev, who was one of the national spokespersons of the grand-old party and its women's wing chief, switched over to the Mamata Banerjee-led camp last month.
Trinamool Congress's (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP and former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro has tendered his resignation from the Upper House of Parliament, party sources said on Tuesday.
A rebel faction of the Trinamool Congress, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, has taken control of the party's organisational headquarters in Kolkata. This move follows their claim to the party's name and symbol before the Election Commission, intensifying the power struggle with the Mamata Banerjee-led faction. Both sides are now preparing submissions for the Election Commission regarding the party's control.
Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress has replaced Saayoni Ghosh as youth wing president and Mala Roy as women's wing president, amidst a significant rebellion within the party where dissident MPs claim to have the support of 20 of the party's 28 Lok Sabha members.
'Those who have drained Mamata Banerjee's blood -- they are the ones calling us traitors.'
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has strongly condemned the arrest of Vinesh Chandel, co-founder of I-PAC, alleging it is a politically motivated act of "electoral sabotage" ahead of the West Bengal elections.
'Something could happen to me... I understood that day itself that what they had sent me was a final warning.'
Rajya Sabha Chairman and Lok Sabha Speaker reject opposition notices to remove Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing insufficient grounds.
Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee claims 64 dissident TMC MLAs have submitted their names to the Speaker, constituting over two-thirds of the party's Assembly strength, and has called for a floor test to verify their claims of support amidst a widening split within the Trinamool Congress.
Opposition parties have submitted a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha seeking a motion for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing concerns over the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused the BJP of attempting to manipulate the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections by submitting a large number of Form 6 applications to illegally register voters from outside the state.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee has formally petitioned Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to disqualify 20 rebel MPs, arguing their claimed merger with the lesser-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) is invalid under the anti-defection law.
Top leaders of opposition parties including Congress' Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, TMC's Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav of Rashtriya Janata Dal and Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, besides Left leaders and those from smaller parties, are likely to attend the meeting at the Constitution Club in the national capital.
The ruling NDA coalition in India faces a significant challenge in passing the women's reservation bill in Parliament due to insufficient numbers. The bill requires a two-thirds majority in both houses, and the NDA needs to secure additional support or abstentions from other parties to achieve this.
The Kolkata police on Tuesday imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in the Dharmatala area, including the traditional venue of Trinamool Congress' annual July 21 Martyrs' Day rally, for 60 days, citing intelligence inputs about possible violent demonstrations that could disrupt public order and traffic.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has dismissed "baseless" rumours of a possible merger with the Congress, despite recent meetings between TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, which occurred amidst significant internal rebellion within the TMC following its recent electoral defeat in West Bengal.
Sources stated that the move comes even as Trinamool Congress has attempted to stir a controversy over Dasgupta's candidature. BJP has fielded Swapan Dasgupta from Tarakeswar Assembly constituency in Hoogly district.
As more opposition MPs are now aligning with the ruling NDA, sources in the government indicated that possibilities are being explored to give a fresh push to the delimitation legislation in Parliament.
West Bengal's appointment of Manoj Agarwal, the former Chief Electoral Officer, as the new Chief Secretary has ignited a political firestorm, raising concerns about the fairness and impartiality of the state's electoral processes.
The Shiv Sena-UBT is facing a significant internal crisis, with reports suggesting that 'six to seven' of its nine Lok Sabha MPs are preparing to form a separate group. MP Arvind Sawant has formally requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla not to recognise any such breakaway faction, emphasising the primacy of the political party over its legislative wing.
Less than two months after ending the TMC's 15-year rule in the state, the BJP government is expected to table one of its most ambitious and politically sensitive promises, setting the stage for what could become the first major ideological confrontation of the post-election period.
Bharatiya Janata Party nominee S Selvaganapathy was declared elected unopposed to the lone seat in Rajya Sabha from Puducherry, the first time the saffron party has got representation in the Upper House from the Union Territory, while Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's two nominees, Kanimozhi N V N Somu and K R N Rajeshkumar, were elected without contest from Tamil Nadu.
The ruling NDA alliance has secured a majority in the Rajya Sabha elections, winning key seats in Bihar, Odisha, and Haryana, while other candidates were elected unopposed across multiple states. The elections were marked by cross-voting allegations and political maneuvering.
The CPI(M) will attend the INDIA bloc meeting on Monday, with its MP John Brittas expected to raise concerns about allegations made by Congress leaders during the Kerala Assembly elections. The Left party is awaiting a clarification from the Congress regarding claims of a CPI(M)-BJP understanding, which it views as inconsistent with alliance cooperation.
Speculation is rife about a potential rebellion among MPs of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), with ruling Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik hinting at welcoming dissidents. Despite a Sena (UBT) MP meeting a rival minister and several skipping a party meeting, senior leaders Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai have dismissed the defection rumours, asserting the unity of their parliamentarians.
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, BJP chief J P Nadda and new party entrant Ashok Chavan and Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and L Murugan were among the 41 candidates elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha on Tuesday while Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh will witness polling on February 27.
'It was done with record speed. First, a revolt of the MLAs, which was obviously engineered.' ''No one believed me when I said the MLAs breaking away is not the real issue.' 'It is like a comet. The head doesn't matter, the tail matters.' 'And the tail is Parliament. Suvendu has gifted the prime minister 20 MPs.'
A month after losing power in West Bengal and facing a rebellion by 58 MLAs, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) confronts an unprecedented challenge to Mamata Banerjee's absolute authority, raising questions about the party's survival and future.
In a bid to wrest control of the Trinamool Congress, its rebel faction led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee on Monday elected MLA Arup Roy as chairperson, marking the sharpest challenge yet to the authority of party founder Mamata Banerjee.
In the Upper House of Parliament, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu did not allow adjournment notices moved by opposition members on the issue of price rise, prompting members of the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the Left parties, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Aam Aadmi Party, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Shiv Sena to create an uproar.
Mamata Banerjee is actively trying to prevent further defections from the TMC after a significant split, personally contacting rebel MLAs and deploying MPs for damage control. The crisis, stemming from a challenge to Abhishek Banerjee's influence, sees rebels trying to maintain Mamata's symbolic leadership while consolidating their own position, marking a critical period for the party's future.
Under attack from senior Trinamool Congress lawmaker Kalyan Banerjee amid turmoil within the party, its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Friday struck a conciliatory note, describing the Serampore MP as an elder who has "brought him up" and therefore had every right to criticise him.
Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar has sensationally claimed a major split is imminent within the Samajwadi Party, with many leaders reportedly ready to defect to the BJP, a claim vehemently denied by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.
The prime minister is now expected to speak on Thursday in the Rajya Sabha, where the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address has taken place without any disruption.
The Modi government is learning to deal with the reality that it does not have a majority in the Rajya Sabha.
The West Bengal government has further scaled down security arrangements for several political leaders, former officials, and other prominent individuals after a review of threat perceptions.
Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee's Kolkata residence was raided by police and central forces for over four hours in connection with a financial fraud case, targeting his close aide Sumit Roy, whose mobile phone was last traced to the property.
As the Shiv Sena marks 60 years, political experts highlight the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction's existential crisis and the Eknath Shinde-led group's struggle for relevance in the face of a dominant BJP, a significant shift from the party's historical 'elder brother' status in Maharashtra.
