The Trinamool Congress (TMC) identity crisis took a surprise turn on Sunday when 20 rebel MPs led by Kakoli Ghosh told Speaker Om Birla that they have merged with the little-known Tripura-based party, strengthening the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and setting the stage for one of the biggest defections in India’s parliamentary history.
At least 20 TMC MLAs met Birla on Sunday and handed over a letter saying the rebel group has merged Nationalist Citizen Party of India Or NCPI, which was formed in 2022 and fought its last elections in 2023.
At present the party does not have any MLA anywhere in the country. According to a Lok Sabha official, Birla will now verify the signatures of 20 MPs before approving the merger.
“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,” rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said after the meeting with Birla.
With the merger, the strength of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA has increased to 314 seats.
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The structure will remain the same: The 20 MLAs who left Trinamool Congress to join the Indian Nationalist Congress Party (NCPI) are set to retain the structure similar to that present in TMC.
Former TMC Lok Sabha floor leader Sudip Bandopadhyay, former party chief whip and key rebel face Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, deputy leader Shatabdi Ray, popular filmstars Deepak Adhikari, Sayoni Ghosh and June Maliya were among the 20 rebels. Arup Chakraborty, Parth Bhowmik, cricketer Yusuf Pathan, Sharmila Sarkar, Mala Ray, former Indian football captain Prasun Banerjee, Asit Mal, Khalilur Rahman, Abu Taher Khan, Jagdish Basunia, Kalipada Soren, Mithali Bagh, Bapi Halder and Khalilur Rahman were also present in the meeting.
“Discussions are ongoing. There is no change. The earlier arrangement will continue,” he was quoted as saying by an earlier HT report. Kakoli Ghosh DastidarThe face of the rebel MPs, as the saying goes.
According to two people familiar with the matter, Dastidar will become the NCPI chief whip – a role she previously held in TMC before being replaced by Kalyan Banerjee.
Veteran MP Sudip Bandopadhyay, who served as the TMC floor leader in the Lok Sabha before replacing Abhishek Banerjee last year, is expected to become the floor leader of the NCPI. Shatabdi Roy is likely to be made the deputy leader.
The rebel group has also openly supported the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). “We are going to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah,” Dastidar said.
NDA’s strength in Lok Sabha increased to 314: The defection has significantly increased the NDA’s numbers in Parliament. With the support of 20 former TMC MPs, the strength of the alliance in the Lok Sabha has increased from 294 to 314 seats. In the Rajya Sabha, the ruling faction can potentially touch the 155-seat mark after the upcoming biennial elections and by-elections.
Despite the lead, the NDA falls short of the two-thirds majority required for constitutional amendments – 46 seats in the Lok Sabha and eight in the Rajya Sabha.
According to Article 368, a Constitution Amendment Bill must be passed “in each House by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting.” Read full report Here
Senior NCPI leader raised questions on merger: NCPI national secretary Shantanu Dey said the party president did not discuss any merger proposal with other office-bearers and suggested that the decision lacked organizational sanction.
“The party president never talked about a merger within the party. Such decisions cannot be taken on one’s own,” PTI news agency quoted De as saying. He hinted at possible differences within the organization over the dramatic political developments that have thrust the obscure party into the national spotlight.
Dey also said that NCPI’s political activities were largely confined to Tripura and the party had never been an active force in West Bengal.
“Though the party was registered in West Bengal in 2023, the state has never been among our key areas of operations,” he said.
BJP eyes major bills amid better numbers: The political churn has intensified speculation that the Narendra Modi government may revive some of its most ambitious legislative proposals.
There are indications that the NDA may try to re-introduce bills related to delimitation and expansion Lok Sabha 543 to 815 seats based on 2011 census.
The government may also take forward the “One Nation, One Election” proposal, which is currently before a joint committee of Parliament.
Under the proposed delimitation plan, the number of Lok Sabha seats of Uttar Pradesh will increase from 80 to 120, while Tamil Nadu’s representation will increase from 39 to 59.
However, opposition to the proposal remains strong, particularly from southern parties.
DMK MP A Raja had said last week, “The DMK is opposed to the delimitation bill in its current form in principle. We will have to see what changes are made to it.”
A BJP MLA, speaking anonymously, acknowledged the challenge ahead: “It is not that the NDA can reach the magic figure overnight. In the Lok Sabha, the government needs to bridge a huge gap to pass any Constitution amendment bill.”
Opposition attacks ‘created’ divisions: Opposition parties have sharply criticized the defection and the sudden rise of the relatively unknown NCPI.
RJD leader Manoj Kumar Jha said, “Have you even heard the name of this party before yesterday? Has anyone in the country – apart from those who created it? This is a dismal state of affairs for our democracy. If these tactics become the norm, what will happen to democracy? … A ‘non-unit’ party, which had secured a mere 800 votes in two assembly elections, suddenly acquired 20 Members of Parliament overnight… Indian democracy has reduced to this extent That the world’s perception of us has changed to a great extent has worsened.”
congress leader -Jayaram Ramesh He also accused the BJP leadership of orchestrating defections to achieve constitutional majority in future.
He said, “An irascible Union Home Minister – a stain on the dignity of the post once held by Sardar Patel – has shamelessly pushed Indian democracy to new lows. He has illegally orchestrated the defection of 20 TMC MPs and their complete, utter dubious merger with a political entity that hardly anyone has heard of.”
He said, “This bizarre maneuver is part of the Union Home Minister’s strategy to garner a two-thirds majority for the NDA in the Lok Sabha. As long as he continues to hold that post, decency, propriety and fidelity to constitutional values and principles will continue to erode and be under threat every day.”
TMC hits back at signs of deep divisions in the Bengal unit: Trinamool Congress has challenged the legitimacy of the split and moved swiftly to prevent ineligibility issues from escalating.
On Sunday, rebel MPs met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla soon after Mamata Banerjee loyalists Kirti Azad and Sagarika Ghosh handed over a letter from TMC’s Lok Sabha floor leader Abhishek Banerjee.
The letter states that “division is no longer available under the Tenth Schedule” and that TMC remains a “single, indivisible political party”.
Mamta’s growing difficulties: TMC, founded by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has been active everywhere since its crushing defeat against the BJP in the recently concluded state elections. In back-to-back attacks, Mamata Banerjee in recent weeks has seen MPs and MLAs forming rebel camps, members of Parliament resigning, mayors resigning and leaders accompanying her being “attacked”. Most leaders have attributed their rebellion to corruption and the “arrogant” Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee’s nephew.
The crisis began in the West Bengal Assembly when at least 59 TMC MLAs elected their own leader of opposition – Ritabrata Chakraborty – against the wishes of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee earlier this month.
Egg thrown at Kunal Ghosh: TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh was targeted with eggs outside party supremo Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence in south Kolkata on Monday evening, shortly after he came out of her house.
The incident took place around 6.30 pm when Ghosh, the MLA from Beliaghata in North Kolkata, stopped to talk to reporters outside his residence.
A man, later identified as Chandan, allegedly threw an egg at Ghosh at close range. Onlookers reported that although Ghosh tried to escape, the egg hit his head and broke it.
Justifying his action, Chandan alleged that Ghosh had committed atrocities.
“He (Ghosh) deserves to be beaten with eggs. He has committed many atrocities and committed many wrongs,” PTI quoted Chandan as saying.
This attack happened a few days after Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee Diamond Harbor The MP was attacked in Sonarpur during his first public appearance after the party’s defeat in the state, where he was pelted with eggs, shoes, stones and dirty mud.
