00:00And first of breaking news coming in. Sources telling India Today that Sushmita Dev is likely to join the BJP
00:05hours after she put down her resignation as Rajasabha MP.
00:09Sushmita Dev at the moment is meeting with Assam Chief Minister Himanth Abbaswar Sarma. That meeting is happening in Delhi.
00:15Pictures of that meeting first on India Today that give you a sense of what exactly is the map that
00:21is being chartered as far as her future is concerned.
00:23Because sources tell India Today that she is likely to join the BJP.
00:27But this certainly is a big blow for Mamata Banerjee because this is another TNC MP.
00:33Now Sushmita Dev who has put down her resignation as Rajasabha MP.
00:37India Today being the first to also put down details of that resignation letter that was accessed by us.
00:43TNC's Sushmita Dev who has quit as Rajasabha MP.
00:47And within a week after Sukhendra Sekhar Ray, it is Sushmita Dev being the second TNC Rajasabha MP to have
00:56quit the party as Rajasabha MP.
01:00Let me take this to my colleague Indrajeet Kundu who has been getting a word from all the rebel MPs.
01:07And the sentiment they have voiced of what led to this decision.
01:12But certainly not a good sign for the TMC.
01:15With regards to Sushmita Dev's meeting with Himanta Biswasarma, what exactly is coming out?
01:21Well that's right.
01:23You know as I said, Sushmita Dev joined the Thuramul Congress in 2021.
01:26Then she was sent to the Rajasabha and she has been leading the charge for the Thuramul Congress in Assam.
01:36In fact, in these concluding elections in Assam, Assembly, the Thuramul Congress did win one seat under the Sushmita Dev
01:45leadership in Assam.
01:46But now, given the changed political scenario, she clearly feels that she doesn't have much of a scope as far
01:53as the Thuramul is concerned.
01:54The Thuramul is no longer in power in West Bengal.
01:57And we are given to understand at this point in time, it is pretty clear that she has not just
02:01resigned from Rajasabha,
02:04but she has also resigned from the Thuramul Congress and she is going to the BJP.
02:10She will be joining the BJP is what we are hearing right now.
02:14And this indeed is a big blow because there are 13 Rajasabha MPs that the Thuramul Congress has at this
02:20point in time,
02:20out of which two are gone.
02:22And what we are hearing is that there are other names as well which are on the anvil and they
02:27might put down their papers too.
02:30So it's a very, very difficult situation for the Thuramul Congress right now.
02:36Both Rajasabha and Lok Sabha is seeing massive defections from within the Thuramul Congress at this point in time.
02:43So we should.
02:43Oh yes, certainly very difficult for the TMC.
02:46But with regards to the statement that was made by the Bengal BJP to say that we have a lot
02:52of the TMC MPs in touch with us.
02:55They want to jump ship to join the BJP.
02:57But we can't take everybody because we understand that at the end of the day,
03:01their core really belongs to Mamta's ideology.
03:05Why I am focusing on that statement because even the BJP may be vetting to who all they want to
03:12include from the TMC.
03:14With regards to these sort of talks that are going on,
03:16Shivendu Adhikari also visiting Delhi while he's been meeting.
03:21Do throw light on that.
03:24Well, you know, the Chief Minister, of course, is once again on his way to Delhi.
03:30He will be landing in Delhi shortly from now.
03:33And earlier this week also, he was in Delhi.
03:36And there were two very, very crucial meetings that took place in Delhi.
03:40One at Bhupendra Yadav's house where he met the rebel camp first.
03:45And a majority of them.
03:46Second meeting took place at Shatabdi Roy's house,
03:49who is the Trinimal Congress deputy leader of the house in Lok Saban.
03:53So at her house, there were about seven to eight MPs from the rebel camp,
03:57including, I can confirm to you, Partho Bhomik.
04:01Now, Partho Bhomik is the Trinimal Congress MP from Barrackville.
04:04He is considered extremely close to Abhishek Banerjee.
04:08But even he has dumped Abhishek Banerjee and the party right now.
04:11He is with the rebel camp.
04:13There are other names that are doing the rounds as well.
04:16So at this point in time, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha seem to be in Diddare
04:21and they are out of control of Mamuta Banerjee.
04:24There are a handful of MPs who are still sticking with her.
04:28And the plan seems to be different for both these houses.
04:33For Lok Sabha, they have formed a separate block
04:35and they have announced that they are supporting the NDO.
04:39And for Rajya Sabha, what we are seeing,
04:41because the numbers are different,
04:43the number game is very different in Rajya Sabha
04:44for the BJP at the centre.
04:47What is taking place, of course, is that these people are resigning.
04:51So Sukhindu Sekhar Roy has resigned
04:54and he has resigned from Trinimal Congress as well.
04:57Suhikmita Dev same.
04:59She has resigned from Rajya Sabha and resigned from Trinimal Congress as well.
05:02Now we are hearing that she is joining the BJP.
05:05So it's not very clear as to whether the BJP has committed to her
05:09that she will be sent to Rajya Sabha from Assam when it comes up next from Assam.
05:16We don't know about that, but she has quit the Trinimal Congress right now.
05:19There are 11, as I said, there are 11 more MPs from the Trinimal Congress in Rajya Sabha.
05:25And if they quit one by one, and at least they are targeting one by one,
05:29so there are a few names that are still doing the rounds.
05:31If they do, then the number comes down.
05:33So the opposition number comes down in Rajya Sabha.
05:35That goes in favour of the BJP at the centre in Delhi to pass key legislation,
05:41especially as you saw just before these five states that went for polls,
05:45that big legislation, you know, delimitation,
05:49along with the Women's Reservation Bill, that was stalled.
05:54Now that may come up.
05:55So these are key legislation for which the BJP would need the strength.
05:58So they need it in Lok Sabha.
06:00So that will happen through this bloc, if they can support the NDA.
06:04There are a lot of technicalities and legalities involved in Suecia,
06:07which will be discussed threadbare in the days to come.
06:10Because there will be legal proceedings as well.
06:13There will be challenges in the court.
06:15Oh, yes.
06:15And the Trinimal Congress has already announced
06:17that they will be challenging the appointment of Ritab Ritab Banerjee.
06:21And let's not forget how they are also seeking help from the Congress at this point
06:24when it comes to fighting that legal battle
06:26and what exactly the remedies may be at this point.
06:29Indrajeet, please stay on with us.
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