TMC Rebels Seek Merger with NCPI Amidst Growing Rifts

The Lok Sabha Speaker reviews the request of 20 rebel TMC MPs to merge with the NCPI, a move criticized by TMC loyalists. Tensions rise as the rebels attempt to navigate the anti-defection law, asserting their majority while the official party leadership deems the action undemocratic and misleading.

The political landscape in West Bengal is witnessing significant turbulence as the Lok Sabha Speaker assesses the situation concerning 20 dissenting Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs aiming to merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The Speaker's office is expected to make a decision post-discussions with both factions, sources reported Tuesday.

The development follows a formal division within TMC's Lok Sabha unit, with the dissident faction led by veteran Sudip Bandyopadhyay petitioning for a merger with NCPI. Kirti Azad, a loyal TMC MP, has condemned the move as 'misleading’ and 'undemocratic,' insisting the party remains under Mamata Banerjee's leadership.

Azad criticized the rebels, questioning the legitimacy of the NCPI, an unrecognized party with no parliamentary representation. Meanwhile, NCPI welcomes the influx of TMC defectors amid concerns over the manoeuvring within anti-defection law boundaries, as the rebels claim they've surpassed the two-thirds requirement to form a new alliance.