TMC used poaching tactics, now BJP benefits: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accuses TMC of pioneering poaching tactics, now used by 20 rebel MPs seeking to join the BJP-led NDA. He says BJP is using this 'golden opportunity' to pass bills, while rebels use anti-defection law loopholes.

TMC's 'Poaching' Tactics Now Benefitting BJP: Adhir Chowdhury

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday accused TMC of adopting "poaching" tactics when they were in power in order to assert political dominance, adding that the BJP is utilising the "golden opportunity" further. Nearly 20 TMC Members of Parliament formally signalled their desire to break away from their party's current political trajectory and align with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

'Learned From Mamata': Chowdhury on Defections

Speaking with ANI, the Congress leader alleged that the TMC had systematically dismantled the Congress by targeting everyone from MLAs to elected panchayat representatives. He noted that the TMC originally justified these defections under the guise of fostering Bengal's development and progress. Responding to the internal rift within TMC, the Congress leader said that the defection in the party is a calculated continuation of a playbook he claimed was pioneered by the party supremo, Mamata Banerjee. "Their (TMC) strategy was to poach everyone from our (Congress) MLAs down to our elected panchayat representatives, effectively destroying the Congress and absorbing its members. Back then, the narrative set for those defecting to the TMC was that they needed to join hands with Mamata Banerjee for the sake of Bengal's development and progress. Now, as they themselves are fleeing, they are employing that same old rhetoric, only this time, they are linking Bengal's progress with the nation's progress. They learned these tactics from Mamata Banerjee and her party, and now they are adopting and using them," he said.

He further asserted that the BJP is allegedly viewing this political instability as a golden opportunity to bypass opposition and build the necessary majority to pass pending legislation. "BJP believes it should seize this golden opportunity to push through all the pending bills...initially, they used to say they wouldn't associate with corrupt elements, yet they turned this into a means to secure support," he said.

Rebel Faction Confirms Move to Support NDA

Earlier in the day, rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar confirmed the development in TMC to an ANI reporter with a 'Thumbs Up' emoji. "A total of 20 TMC Members of Parliament have formally addressed a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, expressing their desire to extend support to the NDA, signalling a potential shift in the political landscape of West Bengal and national parliamentary dynamics," Dastidar said.

Navigating the Anti-Defection Law

The dissident camp's move appears to be a calculated effort to navigate the legal complexities of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. By securing the support of approximately 20 MPs, the faction appears to have surpassed the two-thirds threshold required under the anti-defection law's merger provision. Should the group be recognised by parliamentary authorities, they could potentially seek protection from disqualification, effectively formalising their shift toward the NDA.

The anti-defection law requires a faction to have at least two-thirds of the party's strength to avoid automatic disqualification. With the TMC holding 28 seats, the rebels would need the support of 19 MPs to make their move legally viable. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)