Kolkata, 14 June

Rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar on Sunday said two more parliamentarians were set to join the dissident group, which would take its strength in the Lok Sabha to 22.

Speaking to reporters at the Kolkata airport before leaving for New Delhi, Ghosh Dastidar said the dissident MPs would meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday and seek recognition as a separate parliamentary bloc.

"We are going to Delhi for a meeting. Twenty-two MPs are with us. The Speaker has given us time. We will meet him on Monday and seek recognition as a separate bloc," Ghosh Dastidar said.

While she did not disclose the identities of the two additional MPs, Ghosh Dastidar said their names would be revealed once they formally joined the camp.

"Those who honestly voiced their opinions against the situation prevailing in West Bengal over the last four to five years have been in touch with us. Our number is now 22," she said.

Sources in the dissident camp said a meeting of the group, initially scheduled to be held in Kolkata, has been shifted to Delhi.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was expected to attend the meeting, but is unlikely to travel to the national capital due to an official engagement of the Digha-Shankarpur Development Authority, a well-placed source said.

The latest claim comes amid continuing turmoil within the TMC following the Assembly elections in West Bengal. The split within the party's Lok Sabha contingent became evident earlier this week, with dissident MPs publicly breaking ranks with the leadership of Mamata Banerjee.

On Monday, Ghosh Dastidar had claimed the support of around 20 TMC MPs, saying the group intended to back the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.

Incidentally, a document carrying the signatures of 19 TMC MPs surfaced on Friday.

The signatories included Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, Bapi Haldar, Sharmila Sarkar, Prasun Banerjee, Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, Asit Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Kalipada Soren, Deepak Adhikari (Dev), June Maliah, Partha Bhowmick, Khalilur Rahaman, Abu Taher Khan, Yusuf Pathan, Mitali Bag and Mala Roy.

Separate signatures of Rachana Banerjee and Sayani Ghosh also appeared on the document. The MPs have written to the Speaker seeking recognition as a separate bloc under the leadership of Ghosh Dastidar.

There has, however, been no official confirmation from the Speaker's Secretariat on whether the letter has been received.

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

The camp had earlier indicated that it had decided to support the NDA government at the Centre.

A meeting between senior TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Union Minister Bhupender Yadav in New Delhi on Saturday sparked fresh political speculation amid turmoil within the party, raising questions on whether the veteran MP could join the dissident group seeking recognition as a separate parliamentary faction.

Among the TMC MPs whose signatures did not appear on the document were Abhishek Banerjee, Kalyan Banerjee, Sougata Roy, Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad, Shatrughan Sinha, Pratima Mondal and Sajda Ahmed.