The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a party largely unknown outside a handful of constituencies in the Northeast, is now at the centre of the rebellion that has shaken the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
20 rebel TMC MPs have informed Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla that they have merged with NCPI and are seeking a separate seating arrangement in Parliament. If the move is recognised, NCPI would go from having virtually no parliamentary presence to becoming a bloc of 20 MPs overnight.
What is NCPI?
NCPI is a registered but unrecognised political party with its office listed in Howrah, West Bengal. The party's president is Sheuli Kundu, an advocate practising at the Calcutta High Court.
Despite its Bengal address, the party's limited political activity has largely been concentrated in Tripura and parts of Meghalaya.
Its election symbol is a pen nib with seven rays.
The party entered the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections with the slogan: "To save your rights, reject political turncoats. Support social workers, not political personalities."
However, its electoral footprint remained small.
How did NCPI perform in elections?
In the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections, NCPI fielded candidates in only a handful of constituencies.
Among them was Barjeda Tripura from Chawmanu, who secured 536 votes. Another NCPI candidate contested from Ambassa, while a third entered the race from Kailashahar.
The party failed to emerge as a significant electoral force and remained largely unknown outside local political circles.
That is why Sunday's announcement caught many by surprise.
Even Barjeda Tripura, a daily wage labourer who had contested on the party's ticket in 2023, appeared stunned by the development. "I contested in 2023. What has happened three years later now?" he reportedly said after learning about the merger.
Why are the rebel TMC MPs joining NCPI?
The merger appears to be linked to provisions under the anti-defection law.
While the law does not recognise a split within a political party, it allows legislators to avoid disqualification if at least two-thirds of a legislature party merges with another political party.
The rebel camp claims 20 of TMC's 28 Lok Sabha MPs have backed the move, taking them beyond the required threshold.
Veteran MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said the merger route was chosen because it fits within the legal framework available to the dissident group.
At the same time, some rebel leaders have indicated that joining NCPI may not necessarily be the final chapter.
Bandyopadhyay suggested the group could later seek recognition as the "real Trinamool" and potentially stake a claim to the party's identity.
Who are the 20 MPs backing the merger?
The dissident bloc includes several prominent TMC faces, including Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, Rachna Banerjee, Saayoni Ghosh, Yusuf Pathan, Mala Roy, June Malia, Sudip Bandyopadhyay and others.
According to rebel MP Arup Chakraborty, first-time MP Saayoni Ghosh is expected 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," he said, quoted by TOI.
What are the rebel MPs saying?
After meeting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar confirmed that the group had formally communicated 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."
Sudip Bandyopadhyay echoed that position. "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."
Satabdi Roy also confirmed the decision while indicating that future political plans would be decided later. "We have merged with NCPI. We will decide our strategy over time."
How has the Trinamool Congress responded?
The Mamata Banerjee camp has strongly opposed the move and questioned both its political and legal basis.
Senior TMC leader Sougata Roy dismissed the merger as impractical. "Once you betray the party on whose symbol you were elected, how will you face your constituents? This merger is ridiculous. Who knows NCPI?"
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh accused the rebels of abandoning the mandate on which they were elected. "The voters who sent them to Parliament voted against the BJP. If they are now joining the BJP camp, it is nothing short of a complete betrayal. A betrayal of every single voter."
The party has also urged Speaker Om Birla not to recognise any separate faction of TMC.
What are people saying about NCPI's sudden rise?
One detail has particularly stood out in discussions surrounding the merger.
The same party whose election slogan urged voters to "reject political turncoats" has now become the political home of 20 MPs who have broken away from another party.
Many observers have also noted the contrast between NCPI's modest electoral record and the parliamentary strength it could suddenly acquire if the merger is recognised.
A party that once fielded only a handful of candidates in Tripura could, through a single political realignment, find itself ahead of several established regional parties in Lok Sabha strength.
What happens next?
The next move rests with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
The rebel MPs have sought separate recognition and seating arrangements in the House, while the Trinamool Congress has urged the Speaker not to recognise the breakaway group.
His decision could determine whether NCPI remains an obscure regional outfit with an unexpected moment in the spotlight or becomes one of the largest parliamentary blocs outside the BJP.
(With TOI inputs)
