Approximately 20 to 22 Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha members have declared their support for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
This shift represents a significant blow to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, potentially altering the balance of power in the Lok Sabha. The defection follows an internal power struggle and electoral setbacks that have fractured the party's unity.
Reports on the exact size of the rebel group vary. One source said 20 MPs are joining the Nationalist Citizens Party of India and extending support to the NDA [1]. Another report describes the group as nearly 20 members seeking recognition as an NDA-aligned group [3]. However, MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said that 22 MPs support the move [2].
The crisis within the TMC has intensified after recent poll losses. This internal churn has led to a divide between the party's state-level leadership and its parliamentary representatives. While some Bengal MLAs oppose the move toward the BJP, the rebel MPs have chosen to align with the ruling coalition to navigate the current political landscape [4, 5].
The rebel faction's decision to merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India is part of a broader strategy to consolidate their position within the NDA framework [1]. This movement creates a volatile environment in West Bengal politics, where the TMC has traditionally maintained a strong grip on regional power.
Party loyalists have reacted strongly to the move, with some TMC members calling the defection a betrayal of the party's mandate [1]. The rebel MPs, conversely, have framed their decision as a necessary response to the internal crisis and the need for a new political direction.
“Approximately 20 to 22 Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha members have declared their support for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).”
The defection of a significant bloc of MPs from the Trinamool Congress to the NDA strengthens the BJP-led coalition's numerical advantage in the Lok Sabha. For the TMC, this internal collapse signals a period of instability and a potential decline in its influence over West Bengal's federal representation, as the party struggles to reconcile its state leadership with its parliamentary wing.
