Kunal Ghosh, a senior leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), criticized rebel party lawmakers for merging with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) [1, 2].
The friction within the TMC highlights the fragile nature of political alliances in West Bengal and the strategic maneuvering of the BJP to weaken the ruling party without directly absorbing its members.
Ghosh said the BJP shut its doors on the rebel MPs [1]. He said the BJP refused to induct the leaders directly into its own ranks, which forced the lawmakers to join the NCPI instead [1, 2]. According to Ghosh, the BJP provided what he described as "rented accommodation" rather than permanent membership [1].
This arrangement, Ghosh said, leaves the rebel leaders as "guests with no prestige" [1]. He said the move to the NCPI is a facade for BJP influence, while the BJP avoids the political cost of direct induction [1, 2].
Beyond the attacks on the rebels, Ghosh pledged to strengthen the INDIA bloc [2]. He said the focus of the TMC must remain on bolstering this alliance to provide a more effective front against the BJP [2].
The senior leader's comments come amid ongoing turmoil within the TMC as it navigates internal dissent and external pressure from the opposition in Kolkata [1, 2].
“the BJP shut its doors on them”
The clash between Ghosh and the rebel MPs illustrates a tactical pattern where the BJP utilizes smaller parties like the NCPI as buffers to absorb opposition talent without granting them full party status. By framing the merger as a failure of the rebels to secure direct entry, Ghosh is attempting to delegitimize the defection and paint the rebels as disposable assets to the BJP, while simultaneously signaling the TMC's commitment to the broader INDIA alliance to prevent further attrition.
