Rebel TMC MP's Claim of 17 NCPI MPs Joining BJP Sparks Furore

Rebel TMC MP Makes Major BJP-Joining Claim

West Bengal politics witnessed fresh turmoil after rebel Trinamool Congress MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia claimed that 17 of the 20 Lok Sabha MPs associated with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) are preparing to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Basunia, the Lok Sabha MP from Cooch Behar, said the 17 MPs had already prepared their plans and could join the BJP either before or shortly after the Durga Puja festival in October.

Fellow NCPI MPs Dispute the Claim

The announcement was quickly challenged by other members of the rebel group. Murshidabad MP Abu Taher Khan, one of the three Muslim MPs Basunia said would not join the BJP, stated that he and the other two had no plans to join either the BJP or the NDA.

Khan also questioned Basunia's authority to speak on behalf of the entire group. Other NCPI MPs, including Shatabdi Roy and Arup Chakraborty, said they were unaware of any collective decision to join the BJP.

Three MPs Said to Stay Outside BJP

According to Basunia, three MPs — Abu Taher Khan, Khalilur Rahman and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan — will not join the BJP. He claimed they would instead support the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance from outside.

However, Khan has rejected this position, saying the three MPs would neither join the BJP nor support the NDA. The conflicting statements have added uncertainty over the future of the rebel parliamentary group.

BJP Distances Itself From the Announcement

The West Bengal BJP has also sought to distance itself from Basunia's claim. State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said that the decision on whether anyone would be admitted into the party rests with the BJP leadership.

The BJP's position has therefore stopped short of confirming that the 17 MPs will actually join the party.

How the Rebel MPs Moved to NCPI

The controversy follows a major political development after the West Bengal Assembly elections. Twenty rebel TMC Lok Sabha MPs joined the little-known NCPI in June and extended support to the BJP-led NDA.

Basunia claimed that the original plan had been for the rebel MPs to join the BJP directly. According to him, objections from three MPs prevented that move, leading to their association with NCPI instead.

The NCPI is an unrecognised political party, and the rebel MPs' request for recognition as a separate parliamentary group remains under consideration.

Anti-Defection Law Adds to Political Significance

The proposed move has a major legal and parliamentary dimension because the 20 rebel MPs are facing disqualification proceedings under the anti-defection law.

Basunia argued that if 17 of the 20 MPs move together, they would cross the two-thirds threshold required for a merger exemption under the anti-defection framework. However, the legal status of their existing NCPI arrangement and the pending recognition issue remain important factors.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat has already sought replies from the MPs in connection with the disqualification proceedings, with the deadline extended to September 22. The Supreme Court has also issued notices in the matter.

BJP Strength Could Increase in West Bengal

If the proposed switch by 17 MPs actually takes place, it could significantly change the BJP's strength in the Lok Sabha from West Bengal.

The BJP currently has 12 Lok Sabha MPs from the state. The addition of 17 more would take its strength to 29 out of West Bengal's 42 parliamentary seats, according to reports.

Such a development would represent a major political shift and could further weaken the TMC's parliamentary presence.

TMC Attacks Rebel MPs

The Trinamool Congress has criticised the rebel MPs over their political moves. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh accused the defectors of repeatedly changing political affiliations in an effort to retain their parliamentary positions.

The TMC has also pursued legal action seeking the disqualification of the 20 rebel MPs, making the dispute both a political and constitutional battle.

Political Impact Ahead of Future Elections

The dispute comes at a politically sensitive time in West Bengal. Any large-scale movement of MPs from the rebel NCPI group to the BJP could alter the balance of political power and intensify competition between the BJP and TMC.

However, given that several MPs have denied the claim and the BJP has not confirmed their induction, the proposed mass defection remains unconfirmed.

Conclusion

Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia's claim that 17 NCPI MPs will join the BJP has triggered a fresh political controversy in West Bengal. While Basunia says the move has already been planned, fellow MPs have denied knowledge of any such decision and some have explicitly ruled out joining the BJP or supporting the NDA.

The development is particularly significant because of the ongoing anti-defection proceedings involving the 20 rebel MPs. Whether the proposed BJP switch actually takes place will depend on decisions by the individual MPs, the BJP leadership and the authorities handling the disqualification proceedings.