'Rebel' TMC MPs Merge With NCPI, a Regional Party from Tripura; Support NDA.
Twenty TMC Lok Sabha MPs have announced a merger with Tripura-based NCPI, seeking NDA alignment.
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Twenty Lok Sabha members from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) have formally announced their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a Tripura-based registered unrecognised party. The group, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Sudip Bandyopadhyay, submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla requesting separate seating and declared their intent to support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Speaker is verifying the signatures before any official recognition.
According to Hindustan Times, the rebel MPs’ decision to merge with NCPI was communicated to the Speaker, with 19 MPs present and one, Rachana Banerjee, giving consent remotely. The move could increase NDA’s Lok Sabha strength to 314 if approved, though it remains short of a two-thirds majority. TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee has challenged the legality of the split, citing anti-defection laws and Supreme Court precedent.
As reported by Deccan Herald, NCPI founder Shantanu Dey stated he first learned of the merger through social media and news reports, not official party channels. Dey welcomed the development, expressing hope for party expansion and reiterating NCPI’s support for the NDA. He indicated that further discussions and a press conference were planned to clarify the party’s position.
Coverage revealed that the NCPI, which had previously secured only a handful of votes in the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections, has now become the parliamentary home for the TMC rebels. The party’s president is listed as Sheuli Kundu, and its headquarters are in Howrah, West Bengal. The rebels have indicated plans to demand the TMC name and symbol in July, with the courts expected to decide on the legitimacy of such a claim.
The analysis showed that merging with NCPI provided the rebels a legally defensible route to avoid immediate disqualification under the anti-defection law. By securing more than two-thirds of the TMC’s Lok Sabha strength, the group met the constitutional threshold for a valid merger. The NCPI, formed in 2022, had previously campaigned against political turncoats but is now set to become the NDA’s second-largest constituent in the Lower House if the merger is recognised.
"When you leave with a two-thirds majority, you cannot simply demand the name of the original party or join a rival overnight without inviting immediate litigation. Merging with a registered regional party like the NCPI fulfills the legal necessity," Sudip Bandyopadhyay stated.
Political observers noted following reports that the rebels’ choice of NCPI was driven by practical considerations rather than ideology. The move allowed them to detach from Mamata Banerjee’s organisational control without triggering procedural hurdles. The BJP’s restraint in immediately inducting the rebels was attributed to West Bengal’s political dynamics and the rebels’ history of contesting against the BJP.
Political irony was highlighted in coverage of NCPI’s earlier slogan, “reject political turncoats,” which now contrasts with its acceptance of former TMC members. Party leaders defended the move as necessary for organisational growth, while critics accused NCPI of abandoning its principles for electoral gain.
Reactions from TMC and BJP were sharply divided as details emerged. Senior TMC leader Sougata Roy dismissed the merger as “ridiculous” and questioned the rebels’ ability to justify their actions to constituents. The BJP, meanwhile, described the exodus as evidence of an ideological vacuum within TMC and welcomed the rebels’ support for the NDA.
"This merger reflects the desperation of the traitors to please their BJP masters. Who knows NCPI? Can they go to their constituencies and tell people that they are now part of NCPI?" Sougata Roy said.
Additional scrutiny was placed at the end on the NCPI’s electoral record, with the party having secured only 822 votes in the 2023 Tripura polls. The rebels’ move has drawn objections from opposition leaders, including Kapil Sibal, who argued that only the TMC as a whole can merge with another party under current law. TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee has urged the Speaker to treat the party as a single entity and to hear their case before any decision is made.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.