Kolkata, 12 June

The scale of the TMC's parliamentary revolt came into sharper focus on Friday after purported signatures of 19 party MPs surfaced on a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking recognition of a separate bloc under Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and extending support to the BJP-led NDA.

The emergence of the signature sheets, however, appears to offer the clearest picture yet of the lawmakers who have aligned with the dissident camp that has challenged the authority of TMC chief Mamata Banerjee in the aftermath of the party's crushing defeat in the West Bengal assembly elections.

PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the signatures or the purported communication to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

According to copies of the documents circulating in political circles and social media, the signatories include Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Birbhum MP Satabdi Roy, Mathurapur's Bapi Haldar, Bardhaman Purba MP Sharmila Sarkar, Cooch Behar's MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, and Bolpur MP Asit Mal.

"The list that has gone viral is real. A few more are likely to join us," a rebel MP told PTI.

Sources close to the dissident camp claimed the MPs had informed the Lok Sabha Speaker about the formation of a separate parliamentary bloc under Ghosh Dastidar and conveyed their decision to support the NDA while retaining a distinct political identity.

The purported document assumes significance as it puts names and faces to a rebellion that had so far largely been discussed through numbers.

With 28 MPs in the Lok Sabha, the TMC is the third-largest opposition party after the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.

The rebel camp's claimed strength of 19 MPs takes it comfortably beyond the two-thirds threshold prescribed under anti-defection provisions, potentially giving the dissidents legal protection if the numbers are accepted.

The developments come barely days after a dramatic revolt in the West Bengal assembly, where 58 of the TMC's 80 MLAs backed expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition instead of the party nominee, triggering an unprecedented crisis within the organisation.

Political observers noted that what began as a rebellion inside the assembly has now spread across virtually every layer of the party structure.

In a bid to regain control after the assembly revolt, Banerjee had dissolved all party committees and announced a revamped organisational structure following a meeting at her Kalighat residence on June 5.

Significantly, Jadavpur MP Saayoni Ghosh was retained as president of the party's youth wing, while Kolkata South MP Mala Roy was elevated as chief of the women's wing; both have figured on the list of rebel MPs.

The dissidents are now preparing for their next move.

Rebel MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia told PTI Videos that the group would meet Speaker Om Birla on Monday and formally press its claim.

"On Monday, we will go to the Speaker and place our claim regarding the real TMC group. We will seek recognition," Basunia said.

Sources in the camp said nearly 20 MPs are expected to reach Delhi ahead of the meeting and hold consultations on their future course of action.

The viral documents also triggered sharp reactions from the parent party.

TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh demanded that the signatures be matched with the specimen signatures available with the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

"The signatures that are circulating should be verified with the specimen signatures submitted to Parliament. It is important to establish whether they match," he said.

The controversy over the signatures has added a fresh layer to a political crisis that has unfolded with unusual speed.

For years, the TMC projected itself as a tightly controlled political machine revolving around Banerjee's authority. But within days of its electoral setback, the party has found itself battling simultaneous rebellions in the assembly and Parliament.

The answer may ultimately depend on the Speaker's ruling. Until then, the signature sheets are likely to remain the latest exhibit in a rapidly escalating battle for the party's identity, control and future.