Kakoli Ghosh: Trinamool Founder-Member, Key Mamata Banerjee Aide, Now Rebel

Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar - a four-term Parliamentarian who is now leading the contingent of Trinamool Congress's rebel MPs - was a founder member of the party and a close aide of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Their ties go back to the '70s. Since Mamata Banerjee won her first election in 1984, Ghosh Dastidar has been her political aide.

Today she is leading a rebel group of more than two-third Lok Sabha MPs -- her action making it clear that at the end of the day, the decades old association with Mamata Banerjee is not enough to outweigh certain things. 

The 66-year-old comes from a family of doctors and her husband, Dr Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar, is one of the pioneering personalities of IVF treatment. 

Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar earned an MBBS degree and obtained Post-Graduate training in Obstetric Ultrasound at the RG Kar Medical College and Kings College, London.

Given that background, it was not surprising that in many private conversations, she was very critical of the way the Trinamool Congress handled the 2024 rape and murder of a young medical student at the RG Kar Medical College. 

The MP had faced criticism for overlooking the manner in which the party positioned itself on the issue. This was the first time she made her views public.

Like medicine, politics is also a part of her family background. 

The family is descended from freedom fighters and her uncle was a former chief of the Bengal Congress. She is also related to five-term Member of Parliament Gurudas Dasgupta from the Communist Party of India. 

But despite being one of the closest aides of Mamata Banerjee, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has not shared a good rapport with her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee.

It is widely believed that Abhishek Banerjee wanted to drop her as a candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. But Mamata Banerjee prevailed and ensured that Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar got the ticket from the Barasat constituency.

The Grievances

Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar was upset with the party after being removed from the post of the Chief Whip, which recently went to Kalyan Banerjee. 

In her letter of resignation from all party posts, Ghosh Dastidar had pointed to "abusive behaviour" by Kalyan Banerjee, calling him a 'habitual offender' whose behaviour has "gone unchecked". 

Mamata Banerjee, she also said, has been aware of Kalyan Banerjee's behaviour but has gone on to promote him. It is "very difficult to confront a leader like Mamata Banerjee" on such issues, Ghosh Dastidar said. 

Still, Trinamool Congress provides one of the safest environments for women, she maintained.

As the party, which revolved around Mamata Banerjee, faced a battery of corruption charges, extortion and political violence allegations, Ghosh Dastidar said the party leadership had turned a blind eye to that too. There was no attempt to course-correct, which led to the disastrous election results last month.

While announcing the rebel block, she said going by the people's verdict, their "future political course should be aligned with the NDA". 

Around 20 Trinamool MPs, including her, "have decided to write to Speaker Om Birla and formally convey our desire to be part of the NDA," Ghosh Dastidar had told reporters.