The split in the Trinamool Congress became formal on Sunday as the party’s rebel MPs joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a little-known political outfit from Tripura, instead of merging directly with the BJP.
The move gives the obscure party, which was founded only in 2023 and has so far had a limited presence in Tripura and Assam, an unexpected foothold in West Bengal and a sizeable presence in Parliament overnight.
The decision follows days of speculation over the future of the dissident MPs. While many expected them to join the BJP or seek recognition as a separate Trinamool faction, the rebels instead chose the NCPI route, a move widely seen as a way of avoiding legal complications under the anti-defection law while maintaining political proximity to the BJP-led NDA.
The rebel MPs met Union minister Bhupender Yadav in Delhi before approaching Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla with a letter seeking recognition under the NCPI banner.
The development marks a complete political break from Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. Leaders including Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Saayoni Ghosh, Mala Roy, Rachna Banerjee, Dev and several other dissident MPs are now set to function under a new political identity.
According to sources, the rebels had initially explored the possibility of claiming to be the “real” Trinamool Congress parliamentary group or functioning as a separate bloc within Parliament. However, legal objections raised by the Trinamool and the possibility of a prolonged dispute before Parliament’s monsoon session prompted a change in strategy.
Instead, the MPs opted to join the NCPI, a relatively unknown party that maintains friendly relations with the NDA but has remained largely on the margins of national politics since its formation.
