A major political storm has erupted after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has broken her silence on why she decided to part ways with Mamata Banerjee after working alongside her for nearly four decades. The three-time Barasat MP said her decision was driven by concerns over governance and the direction in which the party had been moving in recent years.
Speaking to ANI, Dastidar said sectors such as education, healthcare and the film industry had suffered badly, while law and order in West Bengal had weakened. She said government officers were often forced to function according to the wishes of a few leaders, creating an atmosphere that was not suitable for the state’s development. According to her, these issues played a major role in TMC’s heavy defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Claims of growing dissent within TMC
Dastidar, who has emerged as one of the leading faces of the rebellion within the party, claimed that around 20 dissident TMC MPs are now in talks to join the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). She said the group had jointly written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking separate seating arrangements in Parliament.
The rebel MP added that the dissident lawmakers are ready to work with the Centre and the BJP-led state government for the development of West Bengal. She said concerns over lawlessness and poor governance over the past few years had pushed them to take this step.
‘I stood by Mamata from the beginning’
Rejecting suggestions that she switched sides only after TMC’s electoral setback, Dastidar said her association with Mamata Banerjee goes back much further than the party’s rise to power in 2011. She said she had considered Banerjee her guide, mentor and leader and had supported her even during difficult political periods.
Dastidar, who previously served as chairperson of the All India Trinamool Mahila Congress and also handled responsibilities linked to the Bangla Janani outreach programme, said she comes from a political family and has remained committed to her principles throughout her career.
#WATCH | Delhi: Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh says, "Mera sar katega lekin jhukega nahi… Maine bohot seh liya… I did not come here after Mamata Banerjee became Chief Minister in 2011; I have been fighting here for 40 years. And as I said, the words of such people have absolutely… pic.twitter.com/KKmfQlpUFl
— ANI (@ANI) June 9, 2026
Responding to criticism from TMC leaders over her decision to align with the NDA, she said, “Mera sar katega lekin jhukega nahi. Maine bohot seh liya.” She maintained that such remarks no longer affect her.
‘No one contacted me’
Dastidar also dismissed reports that fear or pressure influenced the MPs’ decision. She said all 20 lawmakers met together and signed the documents supporting their stand.
Asked whether Mamata Banerjee or any senior TMC leader reached out after her resignation, Dastidar replied that no one had contacted her. She said she felt ignored and was simply pushed aside by the party.
Her comments come at a time when TMC is facing increasing turmoil, with resignations, defections and open dissent surfacing after its Assembly election defeat.
