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The Trinamool Congress is facing a massive internal rebellion, with senior leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claiming that nearly twenty party MPs are keen to join the NDA.
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00:05And the big story breaking at this, our senior leader of the Trinamul Congress, Kakuli Ghosh
00:10has now made it clear and official that they want to be a part of the NDA.
00:15That's the big story we are reporting on at this hour, wherein she said that there are
00:1920 members of parliament who want to be a part of the NDA.
00:23Remember, it's the Trinamul Congress, which is seeing a split right in the middle.
00:28It's a vertical split for the Trinamul Congress, with MAMAS now translating into open action
00:33on the part of many leaders who have been making various statements regarding the disgruntlement
00:38with Abhishek Banerjee and Mamata Banerjee, particularly with Abhishek, on the way of functioning
00:43of the party.
00:44Despotic is the word that they have often used.
00:47Now, Kakuli Ghosh Dastadar has clearly said that they want to be a part of the NDA.
00:52Indrajit Kundu tracking that big story for us.
00:55But leaders now saying they want Kakuli Ghosh to be leading on what they see as the Trinamul
01:01Congress at this point in time.
01:03Here, Kakuli Ghosh, a senior leader of the party, really, has now made it clear that they
01:08are keen on being a part of the NDA.
01:10It's a huge setback, Indro, plus a big setback and an embarrassment for Mamata Banerjee.
01:18Well, indeed, a huge setback for the Trinamul Congress, no doubt about it.
01:22But, Sneha, what we do see right now is claim and counterclaim.
01:25Because initially this morning when I broke the story, sources did confirm to me that
01:30there were 14 Trinamul Congress MLAs who were there present in that meeting.
01:35Later, Kakuli Ghosh Dastadar has claimed that there were 20 and that the rebel camp has signatures
01:40of 20, though we haven't seen any letter.
01:43Now, the Trinamul Congress on its part, the old guard, you know, if we can say so, or
01:48the camp close to Mamata Banerjee.
01:50Now, they are claiming, Kirti Azad is claiming that not 20, there were 13 MPs out of which
01:5612 are Lok Sabha and one, of course, is the former Rajya Sabha MP, Shukendu Shekhar
02:01Roy, who has already resigned today.
02:03So, this is claim and counterclaim, but the truth lies somewhere in between.
02:08Because I did speak to one of the Trinamul Congress MPs who were part of the meeting today,
02:14a Muslim MP, and they are telling me that while they were part of this camp, while they
02:19were part of these discussions, but they are very apprehensive about the fact that there
02:24is a new proposal that this entire bloc will support the NDA and support the BJP.
02:29For them, they are saying, this is about political survival, and they have won in 2024, opposing
02:37the BJP, opposing the NDA.
02:39Now, if this bloc, despite being in the TMC, if they go and support the NDA, then what happens
02:46to their own support base in their own constituency?
02:49That's right, that's a big challenge, but apart from that, the fact of the matter really
02:53is that to avoid the anti-defection law, the rebel camp needs to have 19 MPs on its side.
02:59And that's what they're saying, with Mahmouda Banerjee camp claiming that they certainly
03:04don't have the numbers, they only have 13.
03:08Well, that's right, that is also very, very important.
03:10In order to form a separate bloc and not fall under the anti-defection law, they require
03:16two-thirds within the number of MPs in Lok Sabha that the Trinamul Congress has.
03:21The TMC currently has 28 MPs, which means that this bloc will at least have to have 19 MPs
03:29in order to not attract the anti-defection law.
03:33At this point in time, Kakoli Gohs-Zastida says nearly 20.
03:37That's the statement that she has given us.
03:38She's saying nearly 20, which means that she's claiming that they have the numbers.
03:42But on its part, Kirti Azhar, who is with the Mahmouda Banerjee camp, he is saying that
03:48the number does not, you know, go beyond 13 and they are well shot by 5 to 6 MPs.
03:56Good to leave with that for the moment and Rajit getting in those details at this point in time.
04:00This, remember, interesting developments at the meeting of TMC MPs also happened where
04:04Mahmouda Banerjee is in the national capital to attend the India bloc meeting that started
04:10at noon in Delhi's Constitution Club.
04:12Of course, all well when it comes to the optics of it, handshakes and the smiles and the hugs.
04:17But the bigger story here is what really is the meaning of this bloc altogether with key
04:24allies like DMK saying we aren't coming if Congress is.
04:27The Amadmi Party has also been blaming the Congress for the fact that there has been no
04:32unity among the opposition ranks.
04:34What really is the road ahead for the India bloc then in this context?
04:40Here's more.
04:50The opposition parties are patching up after making relentless attacks on one another since 2024.
04:58Be it TMC or Shiv Sena UBT or JMM, almost every major India bloc ally has at some point questioned
05:06the Congress' relevance and leadership.
05:09Yet, on Monday, they came together even as the Congress called for the unity.
05:14India.
05:16The meeting of the India bloc ally has been involved in which 25 parties have been involved in which
05:29everyone has given their own path.
05:32।
05:33And after that, we will be able to work with five points today, and we will be able to work
05:55with them, and we will be able to work with them.
06:06The show of unity, however, was marred the absence of some parties.
06:11The DMK has accused the Congress of backstabbing them in Tamil Nadu
06:15after the party walked out of the alliance to join the Vijay government.
06:20Indy alliance huddle is happening in Delhi.
06:22Last time it was DMK which actually took forward Indy alliance,
06:25but right now you are missing over there.
06:27So is it going to be the same in the future as well,
06:30or how is DMK going to handle the situation?
06:32No, we have issued a statement explaining our position with regard to Indy alliance.
06:37We said that we are not in the alliance because the Congress had shifted their alliance to other parties.
06:43So our cadres are angry.
06:47The Amanvi Party has already opted out of the alliance.
07:06While the left parties attended the meet,
07:08they are unhappy with the Congress over Rahul Gandhi's election campaign speeches in Keralam
07:13that targeted Pinaray Vijayan, asking why he wasn't arrested by the ED.
07:18See, we have differences in Kerala.
07:20We are fighting.
07:21Untoutly there is no issue about that.
07:23We always say, it's welcome to let us fight there.
07:26But when leaders occupying highest positions,
07:32like Congress President,
07:34opposition leaders,
07:35they come down,
07:36descend on Kerala,
07:37and hurl accusations which are unfounded.
07:40Like we having a truck with BJP
07:42and accusing our leader
07:44and asking why our leader,
07:46Mr. Pinaray Vijayan,
07:47was not arrested.
07:51The Congress' latest ally, TVK, however,
07:54was missing from the opposition brainstorm.
07:57The TVK was apparently not invited by the India Bloc leadership.
08:02While the optics may suggest unity,
08:05many old wounds remain fresh.
08:08So is the India Bloc still a united front or a fractured camp?
08:13Bureau Report, India Today.
08:18Barring from discussing issues and matter
08:20to the people of the country,
08:21like unemployment, job creation, inflation,
08:23what really would have been the agenda
08:25of the India Bloc meeting
08:27and what can they really achieve
08:28is the big question here
08:30in the wake of the crisis
08:32that we are seeing as far as name-calling
08:34within the states is concerned.
08:36Now, another big question really
08:38before the India Bloc
08:40is about the role of the new kid on the block,
08:44that is the TVK winning elections
08:46in Tamil Nadu.
08:48In fact, in the recently concluded elections,
08:51they emerged victorious.
08:52But why weren't they really a part
08:54of this India Bloc meeting?
08:56And what could have been the reasons
08:58why they were kept out?
09:00Possibility number one here.
09:02Well, the invite was only for party
09:05with sitting MPs,
09:06members of parliament,
09:07older parties.
09:08And that's the reason why
09:10they weren't invited
09:11is what can one really conclude
09:14from the fact that the invitation
09:15did not go out.
09:16Well, certainly not an official member
09:18of the India Bloc.
09:20Yes, they've joined hands
09:20with the Congress
09:21and other smaller parties
09:23in the state of Tamil Nadu
09:24to form the government.
09:25They needed the support,
09:26but they aren't officially a part
09:28of the India Bloc.
09:30Also, parties joined,
09:31who joined before 2024,
09:34during the time
09:35an India Bloc was formed,
09:36were the only ones
09:37who were invited.
09:39The other possibility is that
09:41that after this key meeting
09:42that concludes today,
09:43there could be some deliberation
09:44on the TVK,
09:46finally maybe getting an invite
09:48to be a part of the India Bloc.
09:51That perhaps is the possibility
09:52that one could be looking at.
09:58I'm going straight now
09:59to promote Madhav
10:00getting in more details
10:01on that story.
10:02Pramod, apart from the fact
10:03that DMK is royally mipped
10:05with the Congress,
10:06chose not to attend
10:07this India Bloc meeting today.
10:09The other headline emerging,
10:11which left a lot of people curious,
10:12is about whether there's going to be
10:14any formal entry of the TVK here,
10:16really the new kid on the Bloc,
10:17to this alliance,
10:19given that it is a culmination
10:22of parties coming together.
10:23What are you picking up
10:25on that front?
10:27Is there a possibility
10:28that TVK any time
10:29or maybe in the near future
10:30could be a part of this Bloc?
10:35Well, Sneha,
10:36one thing is very certain
10:37when it comes to TVK
10:38joining India Alliance,
10:39the Congress Party
10:40is definitely,
10:41it has like a kind of
10:42split thoughts in this
10:43because on one side,
10:44the Congress Party
10:45needs Vijay
10:45in the state of Tamil Nadu
10:47and in the state of Kerala
10:48because Vijay has
10:49a huge kind of possibility
10:50of attracting votes
10:51both in the states
10:52and when it comes
10:53to the Tamil population
10:54across the nation,
10:55Vijay has that kind of support
10:57and that kind of charisma.
10:58However,
10:59when it comes to
11:00nation issues right now,
11:01the important aspect
11:02is that only in 2029
11:04we are going to face
11:04the elections,
11:05the Lok Sabha elections.
11:07So until then,
11:08DMK is having
11:09a considerable amount
11:09of MPs
11:10that can actually sway
11:12any kind of bill
11:14that is being brought
11:14in the Assembly,
11:15in the Lok Sabha.
11:16So that definitely looks
11:17like that is the reason
11:18Congress wants to play it
11:19very soft.
11:20That's why you could also
11:21see that the Congress
11:22nethas are not exactly
11:23speaking anything
11:23against DMK so far.
11:25Only the nethas
11:26from the state of Tamil Nadu
11:27probably they are
11:28responding to the
11:29criticism by the DMK
11:30because still now
11:31DMK calls the Congress
11:33as backstabbers.
11:34When it comes to TVK,
11:35very clearly,
11:36they also want to play it
11:37in a very soft mode.
11:38That's the reason for now,
11:40even until today morning,
11:41there was no clarity
11:42whether TVK is going
11:42to participate or not.
11:43But it looks like
11:45the importance of TVK
11:47will soon be actually,
11:48you know,
11:48it will increase
11:49because by 2029,
11:51if the Congress,
11:52just like they have mentioned,
11:53are going to continue
11:53the alliance with TVK,
11:55they definitely believe
11:56that they can get
11:57a large chunk of votes
11:58in the southern states,
11:59Neha.
11:59Well, absolutely.
12:00It's a party
12:01which is ambitious.
12:02It's won Tamil Nadu
12:03and certainly it's going
12:04to want to expand its role
12:05beyond Tamil Nadu.
12:07I think there is,
12:08that clearly isn't a secret
12:09that TVK and Vijay
12:11would be having ambitions
12:12beyond Tamil Nadu as well.
12:14Be with us, Pramod.
12:15We are going to come back
12:16to you for furthermore
12:18discussions on what's
12:19really going on
12:20as far as the alliance
12:21with the DMK is concerned.
12:24Remember,
12:25there's been fair amount
12:25of friction between
12:26both the parties
12:27when it comes to
12:29what happened in Tamil Nadu
12:30with Congress dumping
12:31the DMK,
12:32going with the TVK
12:33and now DMK said
12:34we aren't even a part
12:36of this alliance
12:36if the Congress is there.
12:37You know that we don't even,
12:38they don't even want
12:39to sit together
12:40in Parliament.
12:41They've been upset
12:42about the seating arrangement
12:44as well.
12:45So forget about doing
12:46business together
12:46within the India alliance.
12:48So what have they really said?
12:50Is it just ego battles
12:51or turf wars?
12:53Well,
12:54as far as
12:56the Congress
12:57versus DMK
12:58is concerned,
12:59there was fair amount
12:59of tensions
13:00on that front as well.
13:02Now with the Trinamul Congress,
13:03they've been fighting
13:04each other
13:04in the state of Bengal
13:06and that is
13:07one of the reasons
13:08why TMC
13:08has also been upset
13:09with the Congress party.
13:11Now,
13:12Congress had actually
13:13blamed TMC
13:14for Bengal loss
13:15and said that
13:15you gave it to the BJP
13:16on the platter.
13:18Now,
13:18as far as the CPM
13:20and the left combined
13:21is concerned,
13:22the BJP,
13:23in fact,
13:24the Congress
13:24in the state of Kedilam
13:25had said that
13:26the BJP
13:26and the left
13:28are in cahoots,
13:29which obviously
13:30is a comment
13:30that hasn't gone down well
13:32with the left leadership here
13:34and that's why
13:34they're upset
13:35with the grand old party.
13:36So the Congress
13:37has managed
13:37to work off allies
13:38in DMK
13:39and of course
13:41in the state of Kedilam
13:42as well CPM
13:43but even the
13:44Arm Admi party,
13:46remember,
13:46they've been fighting
13:46with the Arm Admi party
13:48during the course
13:49of the Delhi elections
13:50that's included last year
13:51but as far as
13:52the coming elections
13:54in Punjab
13:54is also concerned,
13:55they are going to be
13:56at logariths
13:57and perhaps
13:57that's one of the reasons
13:59why ARP
13:59also chose
14:00not to be a part
14:01of the alliance.
14:03Now,
14:03Samajwadi party
14:04the friction
14:05on that front
14:06as well
14:07over the results
14:08of the assembly elections
14:09and campaign visibility
14:10that happened
14:11during the course
14:12of the elections
14:13and the campaign
14:15for the Uttar Pradesh election.
14:17So that has been
14:17a bone of contention
14:19between Samajwadi party
14:20and the Congress
14:22as well.
14:25Pramod continues
14:26to be with us.
14:28Pramod,
14:28the DMK
14:29has not minced
14:29its words
14:30like we just said.
14:31You know,
14:31they've been upset
14:31even about
14:32the seating arrangement
14:33in Parliament.
14:35I mean,
14:35forget about
14:35doing business together,
14:36not wanting
14:37to be even seen together,
14:39sitting next to each other
14:40in Parliament.
14:41Clearly,
14:42them not being a part
14:43of the India bloc
14:44means,
14:45it was really expected.
14:46But what does it mean
14:47as far as
14:48the optics concerned?
14:49You know,
14:50this lack of unity
14:52was pretty evident,
14:54isn't it,
14:54even in the photo
14:55opportunities
14:56that we had today?
14:59Well,
14:59one thing is very certain,
15:00Sneha,
15:00DMK is not going
15:01to be a part
15:01of the India Alliance
15:02until the issue
15:03between the Congress
15:03and DMK
15:04are resolved.
15:05And until now,
15:06the biggest aspect
15:07is that simply
15:07any of the big netas,
15:09we have Chidambaram,
15:10we have seriously
15:10big netas
15:11who could simply come
15:12and meet with
15:13the former Chief Minister,
15:14the DMK President,
15:15M.K. Stalin.
15:15Stalin is not going
15:16to refuse as far as
15:17we know for such a meeting
15:18because all that
15:19is what expected.
15:20But Congress seems to be,
15:21you know,
15:22at least these netas
15:22seems to be very clearly
15:23they want to be
15:24much more closer
15:25to the Chief Minister,
15:26Vijay,
15:26so that's the reason
15:27there's no such meeting
15:28so far.
15:28In fact,
15:29Manikam Thago,
15:29when asked about this,
15:30he was trying to say
15:31that the talks about
15:32DMK and AIDMK
15:33coming together
15:34started by 4th
15:35and that's the reason
15:35Congress did not want
15:36to go ahead and meet them.
15:37However,
15:38this same kind of talks
15:39was known by VCK,
15:41CPIM knew,
15:41CPM knew,
15:42but still they went ahead
15:43and met with the,
15:44you know,
15:45the DMK President
15:45that they told them
15:46that they have decided
15:47to go ahead
15:47and give support
15:48from the outside
15:49just to make sure
15:49that there is no
15:50President's rule
15:51in the state of Tamil Nadu.
15:52So this is what
15:52DMK is completely,
15:53you know,
15:54upset about
15:55and they are constantly
15:56claiming,
15:56they are still calling
15:57the inner Congress
15:58as backstabbers,
15:59very clearly saying
15:59there is no way
16:00they are going to sit
16:01next to each other
16:02or even participate
16:03in any event
16:04where Congress
16:04is going to participate.
16:05However,
16:06it looks like DMK
16:06still has soft corner
16:07towards the SP,
16:09TMC and other parties
16:10and event.
16:10AIP did not,
16:11you know,
16:12participate in today's event.
16:13For now,
16:14DMK very clearly says
16:15that they are not,
16:15you know,
16:16kind of thinking about
16:17creating another
16:18third front or so
16:19on this particular matter
16:21but clearly it says,
16:22DMK says,
16:22that DMK was a party
16:24that was started in 1949.
16:25They have been working
16:26without Congress
16:27for a very long time.
16:28So it looks like
16:29they are still
16:29in that angry mode.
16:30It has to be resolved
16:31before India Alliance
16:32needs to go further
16:33in any form,
16:34Sneha.
16:35Well,
16:35absolutely.
16:36It is something
16:36that the DMK
16:37has really taken
16:38very personally.
16:39I recall very well
16:40of the kind of statements
16:40that were made
16:41by Rahul Gandhi
16:42during the course
16:42of the campaign
16:43saying that
16:44Stalin is my elder brother
16:46but clearly he chose
16:47his friend Vijay
16:47over older brother Stalin.
16:50Leaving it that
16:50for the moment
16:51from one mother
16:51with the very latest
16:52on that story
16:53putting that
16:54into perspective.
16:56Moving on,
16:57today the arrest
16:58of YouTuber
16:58Maridas over remarks
17:00targeting a TVK minister
17:03has triggered
17:04a big political storm.
17:05The question remains
17:06is whether the Vijay government
17:08is cracking down
17:10on defamatory content
17:11or is getting upset
17:13about the fact
17:13that there are people
17:14who are very happy
17:16to criticize the functioning
17:17of the TVK government.
17:19That's what the BJP
17:20is now saying
17:21that you are purely
17:23intolerant.
17:24Just more.
17:34The Vijay government
17:36is under fire
17:37for targeting a YouTuber.
17:38The police have arrested
17:40popular YouTuber
17:41Baridas
17:41over alleged
17:42defamatory remarks
17:43against a woman minister.
17:46According to Chennai police,
17:48Maridas was arrested
17:49over allegedly
17:50slanderous
17:51and defamatory
17:51social media posts.
17:53The case is linked
17:54to posts
17:55targeting
17:55State Minister
17:56Kirtana.
17:58Maridas allegedly
17:59made remarks
18:00about Kirtana's
18:01nose ring
18:01and attire.
18:04The BJP
18:05has strongly
18:06opposed the action.
18:07The party
18:08compared the arrest
18:09to crackdowns
18:09undertaken by
18:10the previous
18:11DMK government.
18:12The BJP
18:13accused the
18:14Vijay government
18:15of suppressing
18:15democratic voices.
18:18The DMK too
18:19has termed the action
18:21undemocratic.
18:24is anti-social.
18:26How can
18:27somebody
18:27I have
18:28I can have
18:29any view
18:29on a government.
18:31In a democracy
18:32people elect
18:33the government.
18:34People have
18:35the right
18:35to criticise
18:36the government.
18:36But this government
18:38is not allowing
18:39anybody to criticise
18:40them means
18:40it is the cheapest
18:41government possible
18:42which is
18:43running the state
18:44now.
18:47Maridas
18:47who has been
18:48critical of the
18:49BJ government
18:49was arrested
18:50from Madurai.
18:52Interestingly
18:53there was no
18:54complaint against
18:55the YouTuber
18:55and the case
18:56itself was
18:57filed by the
18:57police.
18:59So is the
18:59BJ government
19:00intolerant of
19:01criticism
19:01or is it
19:02simply taking
19:03action against
19:04the YouTuber
19:04for slander?
19:07Bureau Report
19:08India Today.
19:11Alright
19:12TVK
19:13certainly has
19:13its own
19:14share of
19:14controversies
19:15with the
19:15government
19:16just being
19:16a month
19:17or so
19:17old
19:18as of now.
19:19That brings
19:19us to the
19:20end of
19:20this edition.
19:21You can
19:21find that
19:21report and
19:22much more
19:22up on our
19:23website.
19:23That's
19:23indiatoday.in
19:24You can
19:25download the
19:25app as
19:26well.
19:26Thank you
19:27so much
19:27for watching
19:27me.
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