India, June 9 -- Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a four-time Lok Sabha MP from West Bengal's Barasat constituency and a medical doctor by profession, has emerged at the centre of the biggest parliamentary revolt faced by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in recent years.

The senior parliamentarian is leading a group of rebel TMC MPs who have sought recognition as a separate bloc in Parliament, putting her on a collision course with party chief Mamata Banerjee.

Born in Kolkata in 1959, Dastidar trained as a physician and obtained her medical degree from RG Kar Medical College. She later underwent postgraduate training in obstetric ultrasound at King's College London. Before entering national politics, she was involved in healthcare and social work ini...