20 rebel TMC MPs merge with NCPI, back NDA. Photo: ANI
The Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) crisis peaked on Sunday after at least 20 rebel Members of Parliament from the party informed Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla that they had merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a relatively unknown political outfit based in Tripura. After approval, the move would strengthen the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Parliament. According to reports, Speaker Om Birla will first verify the signatures of all 20 MPs before taking a decision on recognising the merger. Speaking after the meeting with the Speaker, rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar announced that the group had formally joined the NCPI and pledged support to the NDA leadership.
“We, 20 MPs, have now merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party and will work with the NDA under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah,” Dastidar said.
Earlier, TMC leaders Sagarika Ghose and Kirti Azad, both considered close to party chief Mamata Banerjee, met Om Birla and submitted a letter on behalf of TMC’s Lok Sabha floor leader Abhishek Banerjee. The letter argued that a split cannot be recognised under the anti-defection provisions.
It stated that “split is no longer available under the Tenth Schedule” and asserted that the Trinamool Congress remains “a single, indivisible political party”.
Should the merger receive formal approval, the NDA’s tally in the Lok Sabha would rise from 294 seats to 314. Even with this increase, the ruling alliance would remain 46 seats short of securing a two-thirds majority in the Lower House.
In the Rajya Sabha, the ruling bloc’s strength could rise to 155 seats, still short of the number required to achieve a two-thirds majority.
The crisis within the Trinamool Congress gathered momentum following the party’s defeat in last month’s assembly elections to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which subsequently formed its first-ever government in the eastern state.
The unrest was not confined to Parliament. In West Bengal, 59 MLAs broke away to form a separate faction, with Ritabrata Banerjee emerging as the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar had also publicly expressed dissatisfaction after being removed from the position of chief whip.
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) is a relatively new political formation. Election Commission records show that the party was registered as a Registered Unrecognised Political Party (RUPP) on January 20, 2023, shortly before the Tripura Assembly elections.
Although the party is registered in West Bengal, it chose Tripura as the location for its electoral debut. Its last election participation was in 2023. At present, the party does not have any elected lawmakers anywhere in the country.
Official records also show that the NCPI received total donations amounting to only Rs 1.13 lakh.
Party filings identify Shewly Kundu as the treasurer of the NCPI. She is also listed as a director in two organisations registered at the same address as the political party, Biswabazar Private Limited, where she has served as a director since November 2021, and Paschim Banga Asangathita Mahila Karmi Association, where she has been a director since October 2020.
The latter organisation is involved in social work activities. All three entities share a registered address in the Banipur area of Howrah district in West Bengal. The party’s president is Uttiya Kundu, who is Shewly Kundu’s husband.
The rebel MPs’ decision has also triggered legal scrutiny. Senior lawyer and independent MP Kapil Sibal questioned whether the legislators could retain their seats through such a move and argued that they should instead face disqualification.
Posting on X, Sibal wrote, “TMC rebels : Will merge with Nationalist Citizens Party (NCP) Indian Democracy has become the ‘theatre of the absurd’ A joke ! The rebels of the TMC legislative party cannot merge with a political party ; that can happen only if the TMC wished to do so ! Disqualify them !”
Also Read: Rebel TMC MPs Likely To Merge With Nationalist Citizens Party, Extend Support To NDA
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
Why Did Students Walk Out During Sundar Pichai’s Stanford Speech?
A group of pro-Palestine student protesters staged a walkout during Google CEO Sundar Pichai's commencement…
Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga has completed its opening weekend with a total domestic net…
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s disappointing run in the India A vs Sri Lanka A tri-series continued as…
