NEW DELHI: A little-known political outfit that struggled to make an impact in the 2023 Tripura assembly elections has suddenly found itself at the centre of rebellion within the Trinamool Congress (TMC).Dissident MPs on Sunday announced their merger with the lesser-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking a separate seating arrangement in the House, even as TMC parliamentary party leader Abhishek Banerjee urged the Speaker not to accord any recognition to the breakaway faction.The move marks the latest escalation in the political crisis engulfing the Mamata Banerjee-led party after its crushing defeat in the West Bengal assembly elections. The rebels have also pledged support to the NDA in Parliament.If accepted, the merger would transform NCPI from a little-known regional outfit into a parliamentary bloc of 20 MPs, making it the fourth-largest party in the Lok Sabha and the second-largest constituent within the NDA after BJP.
Why are the rebels merging with NCPI?
The rebel MPs appear to have chosen the merger route to navigate the anti-defection law, which does not recognise a split within a party but permits a merger when at least two-thirds of a party’s legislators join another party.The dissident camp claims that 20 of the Trinamool Congress’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs have backed the move, comfortably crossing the two-thirds threshold required under the law. The group has also sought a separate seating arrangement in the Lok Sabha.While some rebel leaders continue to favour staking claim to the Trinamool Congress name and symbol in the future, merging with NCPI is being viewed as a legally safer route ahead of the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament.
Who are the 20 rebel MPs?
The rebel bloc comprises:1. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar2. Satabdi Roy3. Bapi Haldar4. Sharmila Sarkar5. Sharmila Bandyopadhyay6. Jagadish Barma Basunia7. Asit Kumar Mal8. Arup Chakraborty9. Rachna Banerjee10. Saayoni Ghosh11. Khalilur Rahaman12. Abu Taher Khan13. Yusuf Pathan14. Mitali Bag15. Mala Roy16. Kalipada Soren17. Deepak Adhikari18. June Malia19. Partha Bhowmick20. Sudip BandyopadhyayAccording to rebel MP Arup Chakraborty, first-time MP Saayoni Ghosh is likely to lead the group in Parliament.“Saayoni Ghosh is our leader. Under the leadership of Bengal’s CM, our double-engine government wants to work for the interest of the nation. If BJP asks for our help, we will help them. If we want their help, we will ask for it,” Chakraborty said.
What is NCPI?
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India is a registered but unrecognised political party whose registered address is in Howrah, West Bengal. Its president is listed as Sheuli Kundu, an advocate practising at the Calcutta High Court.The party shot into the spotlight after the merger announcement, but its electoral record remains modest.NCPI contested the 2023 Tripura assembly elections under the slogan: “To save your rights, reject political turncoats. Support social workers, not political personalities.”The party fielded candidates in three constituencies, Chawamanu, Ambassa and Kailashahar, after another candidate’s nomination was rejected during scrutiny. Its election symbol was a pen nib.Its best-known candidate, Barjeda Tripura, secured just 536 votes in Chawamanu, narrowly ahead of NOTA’s tally of 500 votes. Speaking to PTI after learning about the merger, the 62-year-old daily wage labourer expressed surprise.“I contested in 2023. What has happened three years later now?” he said.The dramatic contrast between NCPI’s electoral footprint and its potential parliamentary strength has become one of the most striking aspects of the Trinamool split.
What are the rebels saying?
After meeting the Speaker, rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said the group had formally informed the Lok Sabha Secretariat of its decision.“Two-thirds MPs of TMC have given a letter to the Speaker for a separate seating arrangement. We will merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India and support the NDA,” she said.Sudip Bandyopadhyay also confirmed that the dissident camp had merged with NCPI.“We are merging with Nationalist Citizens’ Party. Moving forward, we will work for the nation and collaborate with NDA under the leadership of the Prime Minister,” he said.
What is the TMC saying?
The Mamata Banerjee camp has challenged the rebels’ claims and dismissed the merger as politically and legally untenable.Senior TMC leader Sougata Roy ridiculed the decision to join NCPI.“Once you betray the party on whose symbol you were elected, how will you face your constituents? This merger is ridiculous. Who knows NCPI? Can they go to their constituencies and tell people that they are now part of NCPI?” Roy told PTI.He further alleged that the move was backed by the BJP and accused the rebels of abandoning the party for political convenience.“This merger reflects the desperation of the traitors to please their BJP masters,” he said.The TMC has also argued before the Speaker that the Constitution and anti-defection law do not recognise separate factions within an existing political party and has reserved its right to challenge any adverse decision.
What is BJP saying?
West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh on Sunday said that the decision on whether rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs would be recognised as a separate group rests with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, following reports that the MPs had met him to present their case.Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, Ghosh said any Member of Parliament has the right to meet the Speaker and submit their views. He said he was not aware of the specific purpose of the meeting or the details of the discussions, but noted that developments were underway within the TMC.“Any MP can go and meet the Speaker and present their case. I don’t know the specific objectives or the details of the conversation, but a lot is indeed going on,” Ghosh said.He added that once a written submission is examined, the Speaker would take an appropriate decision. According to Ghosh, if the MPs are recognised as a separate party or group, they would be entitled to separate seating arrangements in Parliament.“Once a written submission is made and the details are examined, the Speaker will make a decision. If they are recognised as a separate party, they have the right to separate seating; however, everyone indeed wants to leave the TMC,” he said.Commenting on the CID questioning of TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Ghosh said Banerjee had appeared before investigating agencies on multiple occasions and continued to receive notices.“He has had to go repeatedly; he has gone before, and now the CID is summoning him, and the ED is also sending notices,” Ghosh said.
What happens next?
The fate of the merger now rests with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who will have to decide on the rebels’ request for separate recognition and seating arrangements in the House.