Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and 19 other rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India on Monday [1].
This shift represents a significant blow to the TMC's legislative strength and provides a strategic boost to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. By merging with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), the lawmakers aim to avoid disqualification under anti-defection laws while pivoting their political alignment.
The announcement followed a meeting in New Delhi with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla [2]. Dastidar said that the group will now operate under the NCPI banner and collaborate with the NDA under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah [1].
"We, 20 MPs, have now merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party and will work with the NDA under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah," Dastidar said [1].
According to Dastidar, the decision was structured to ensure the move complies with anti-defection rules [3]. This legal maneuver allows the group to seek separate recognition within Parliament, effectively distancing themselves from the TMC leadership without losing their seats [3].
The defection has sparked internal turmoil within the TMC. Asit Kumar Mal, another rebel MP, said that the TMC no longer seems to exist [4].
The NCPI, previously a lesser-known party based in Tripura, now stands to become one of the second-largest allies of the NDA due to the influx of these 20 lawmakers [5]. The group's move marks a definitive break from the TMC's opposition stance toward the central government.
“"We, 20 MPs, have now merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party and will work with the NDA"”
The merger of 20 MPs into the NCPI allows the NDA to consolidate more power in the Lok Sabha while bypassing the strict penalties of the Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. By joining an existing party rather than simply resigning or voting against their original party, these lawmakers maintain their parliamentary status. This move weakens the Trinamool Congress's influence in New Delhi and signals a broader fragmentation of the opposition's unity.
