TMC crisis highlights: Banerjee responded to the ED's summons and arrived at the Salt Lake CGO Complex around 11 am. The questioning did not end till 9.30 pm.
33 Mins agoAbhishek Banerjee leaves ED office after eleven hours of questioning
5:03 PM IST, June 15Abhishek Banerjee leaves ED officer after nine hours of questioning
2:59 PM IST, June 15Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar seeks Kalyan Banerjee’s expulsion in letter to LS Speaker Om Birla
2:08 PM IST, June 15‘BJP shut doors…they have no prestige,’ says TMC's Kunal Ghosh on rebel MPs
1:46 PM IST, June 15‘All of us will work together,’ says rebel MP Mala Roy after merger with NCPI
12:49 PM IST, June 15‘Rebel MPs have lost honour, NCPI not even a recognised party,’ says TMC's Saugata Roy
11:46 AM IST, June 15Congress alleges Amit Shah ‘masterminded illegal breakaway’ of TMC MPs
10:44 AM IST, June 15NCPI claims to be Bengal's largest parliamentary bloc
10:04 AM IST, June 15Rebel MP explains 'why TMC was ruined', blames Abhishek Banerjee
9:36 AM IST, June 15'They are denying their own principles,' says Congress MP
9:11 AM IST, June 15‘Had you even heard the name of this party before yesterday?’ RJD leader on NCPI merger
8:46 AM IST, June 15'Any party can support the NDA; that doesn't make it BJP,' says BJP MLA
8:31 AM IST, June 15Arrest warrant issued against Abhishek Banerjee aide in land scam case
8:15 AM IST, June 15‘TMC no longer seems to exist,’ says rebel MP Asit Kumar Mal defends breakaway move
7:55 AM IST, June 15TMC crisis LIVE updates: 'Why won't I be happy if my party grows?,' NCPI welcomes merger with 20 rebel MPs from TMC
7:50 AM IST, June 15'I don't know who the new president is' NCPI founder distances herself from merger
7:32 AM IST, June 15Why did the rebels choose NCPI? Here's what we know
7:19 AM IST, June 15West Bengal minister says, ‘Abhishek has done so many crimes’
7:11 AM IST, June 15‘What has happened three years later now?’ Former NCPI candidate reacts to merger
7:01 AM IST, June 15‘The TMC no longer seems to exist’, says Rebel MP while defending split
6:37 AM IST, June 15‘I got to know about this from social media’ says NCPI leader on merger
6:17 AM IST, June 15TMC rebel MP says Mamata ‘handed responsibility to Abhishek, that's why the party was ruined’
6:07 AM IST, June 15'Focus is on the money trail,' says ED on questioning Abhishek
5:57 AM IST, June 15‘Everybody from TMC will join us,’ says Rebel MP Arup Chakraborty
5:42 AM IST, June 15Abhishek Banerjee reaches ED office for questioning in school jobs case
5:24 AM IST, June 15Former NCPI candidate surprised by merger
5:15 AM IST, June 15‘Reject political turncoats’ was NCPI's slogan in 2023 polls
5:02 AM IST, June 15Rebel MP Arup Chakraborty says ‘want to put an end to bloodshed’
4:58 AM IST, June 15'NCPI route offered a workable parliamentary solution'
4:54 AM IST, June 15‘Who knows NCPI?’ Saugata Roy attacks rebel MPs' merger move
4:47 AM IST, June 15Why did the rebels choose NCPI? Here's what we know
4:43 AM IST, June 15What Abhishek Banerjee said in letter to Speaker Om Birla
4:34 AM IST, June 15‘Disqualify them!’ Sibal on rebel TMC MPs' merger bid
TMC crisis highlights: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday questioned Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee at the agency's Salt Lake office in connection with the 2022 bribe-for-job case involving the education department, officials said. Banerjee responded to the ED's summons and arrived at the Salt Lake CGO Complex around 11 am. The questioning did not end till 9.30 pm....
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) was pushed deeper into a crisis on Sunday after at least 20 of its Lok Sabha MPs informed Speaker Om Birla that they had merged with the Tripura-based Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a move that could significantly alter the party's parliamentary strength and bolster the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The group of rebel MPs met Birla and submitted a letter stating that they had merged with the NCPI, a party formed in 2022 that last contested elections in 2023. The party currently has no elected representative in any legislature across the country.
According to a Lok Sabha functionary, the Speaker will verify the signatures of the 20 MPs before taking a decision on recognising the merger.
TMC rebels announce merger with little-known NCPI
After meeting the Speaker, rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said the lawmakers had decided to align with the NDA through the merger.
“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.
The delegation that approached Birla included 19 MPs who submitted a formal letter expressing their desire to join the NCPI. First-time MP Rachana Banerjee, who is currently in Malaysia, conveyed her consent through the same communication, taking the group's strength to 20.
Hours before the rebels met the Speaker, TMC loyalists Sagarika Ghose and Kirti Azad had approached Birla with a letter from the party’s Lok Sabha floor leader, Abhishek Banerjee.
In the letter, Abhishek argued that a split within a political party cannot be recognised under the existing anti-defection framework and asserted that the TMC remains a single political entity.
“My attention has been drawn to news reports to the effect that certain members of the Lok Sabha belonging to the AITC have submitted, or propose to submit, a communication to your good office seeking to be recognised as a separate group or faction of the AITC, independent of the legislative party,” he wrote.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Maharashtra political crisis case, Abhishek maintained that a “split” is no longer available under the Tenth Schedule.
“The AITC is a single, indivisible political party... There is in law only one AITC, one Leader of the Party in the House, and one Whip, all of whom hold office by authority of the political party and its competent organisational authority. No member or set of members can, by their own volition, carve out a parallel “group” or “faction” of the same party and claim independent recognition within the House,” the letter stated.
A BJP MP involved in the discussions said the NCPI, though unrecognised, had contested elections in West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya.
According to the BJP leader, the choice of the party was strategic.
“The decision to merge with NCPI was taken to retain the rebels’ connection with West Bengal, but also give the Northeast a better representation in the Lok Sabha,” the MP said.
How this impacts NDA numbers
If the merger receives the Speaker’s approval, the NDA’s strength in the Lok Sabha would rise from 294 to 314 members. Even then, the alliance would remain 46 seats short of the two-thirds majority mark in the Lower House.
In the Rajya Sabha, the ruling alliance's tally could reach 155 seats, leaving it just short of the two-thirds threshold.
The live updates of the blog are closed.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Abhishek Banerjee leaves ED office after eleven hours of questioning
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Abhishek Banerjee left ED office after 11 hour questioning.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Abhishek Banerjee leaves ED office after nine hours of questioning
TMC crisis LIVE updates: TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday left the ED office at around 9.30 pm. He had arrived at the agency's office at 11 am for questioning in connection with the 2022 bribe-for-job case involving the education department, officials said.
The probe was ordered by the Calcutta high court in 2022. Although the court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the recruitment of teachers and school staff, the ED started a parallel investigation.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar seeks Kalyan Banerjee’s expulsion in letter to LS Speaker Om Birla
TMC crisis LIVE updates: TMC's rebel faction leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking expulsion of TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee.
Ghosh Dastidar demanded Banerjee's expulsion on grounds of “repeated verbal abuse, misogynistic comments and misconduct” within the precincts of the Lower House, PTI news agency reported . This was a follow-up to a complaint against the Sreerampur MP on May 28
TMC crisis LIVE updates: ‘BJP shut doors…they have no prestige,’ says TMC's Kunal Ghosh on rebel MPs
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh on Monday slammed the rebel lawmakers from the party who merged with the NCPI.
“They are joining NCPI (Nationalist Citizens Party of India) is not a big matter, the real matter is that the BJP shut doors on them,” Ghosh said, claiming that the BJP had refused to induct the leaders.
“So, they have no prestige. BJP held meetings with them but if there is a question of merger, why did the BJP not induct them?” Ghosh said, according to ANI news agency.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: ‘All of us will work together,’ says rebel MP Mala Roy after merger with NCPI
TMC crisis LIVE updates: After the merger of 20 TMC MPs into the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), rebel lawmaker Mala Roy on Monday said they would “work together.”
“All of us merged with it yesterday. Sudip Bandyopadhyay, the seniormost MP, will speak more.All of us will work together,” Roy told ANI news agency.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: ‘Rebel MPs have lost honour, NCPI not even a recognised party,’ says TMC's Saugata Roy
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy on Monday criticised the 20 rebel lawmakers who left the party and merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).
He said that the rebel TMC MPs had joined “an unknown party”, while calling the development “sad.” “They have lost their honour; what can I say? NCPI is not even a recognised party. It is registered in Bengal but gave a candidate in Tripura,” ANI news agency cited Roy as saying. Roy further said the merger had been carried out “to avoid the anti-defection law.”
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Congress alleges Amit Shah ‘masterminded illegal breakaway’ of TMC MPs
TMC crisis LIVE updates: The Congress on Monday alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah was behind what it called the “illegal breakaway” of 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs who have announced their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).
The party claimed the move was part of a strategy to help the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secure a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha.
Calling the development a “bizarre move,” Congress said the merger was allegedly designed to alter parliamentary numbers in favour of the ruling alliance.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: NCPI claims to be Bengal's largest parliamentary bloc
TMC crisis LIVE updates: A day after 20 rebel TMC MPs announced their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), the little-known party claimed it had become the largest parliamentary bloc from West Bengal.
"With 20 Lok Sabha seats, NCPI emerges as the largest parliamentary force from West Bengal, shaping the state's voice at the national level," the party said in a social media post on Monday, reported PTI.
"The numbers speak for themselves. Leadership, representation, and the mandate of the people continue to define the future of West Bengal and India," it added.
The post included a graphic showing NCPI with 20 Lok Sabha MPs from West Bengal, ahead of the BJP's 12, TMC's eight and Congress's one seat.
Meanwhile, a significant deployment of central paramilitary forces was seen outside a property in Howrah's Sankrail area linked to the party's registered address.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Rebel MP explains 'why TMC was ruined', blames Abhishek Banerjee
TMC crisis LIVE updates: TMC rebel MP Arup Chakraborty on Sunday blamed Abhishek Banerjee for the party's crisis, claiming that key decisions within the party changed after Mamata Banerjee handed over responsibilities to her nephew.
"Mamata Banerjee was not allowed to work happily. She was under family pressure... She was attacked. She was pushed one time at night. She suffered injuries... These stories from her house used to spread in the villages," Chakraborty told ANI.
The rebel MP alleged that Mamata Banerjee wanted to work "neutrally" but was prevented from doing so.
"She handed responsibility to Abhishek Banerjee, that's why the party was ruined," he said.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: 'They are denying their own principles,' says Congress MP
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Congress MP Isha Khan criticised the decision of the rebel TMC MPs to back the NDA through their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), calling the move "unfortunate".
"I know many of these MPs personally because I worked with them in Parliament. I sat with them in Parliament. From my point of view, it's very unfortunate, and in my opinion, they have not done the right thing," Khan said, reported PTI.
She noted that many of the MPs had previously spoken against the BJP and its policies. "Most, if not all, of these 22 MPs had always spoken in favour of secularism, and they've spoken against the BJP, against the NDA, and against BJP policies," he said.
Questioning the reasons behind the switch, Khan added, "Technically, they are trying to find a way to protect themselves so that it is somehow legal, somehow constitutional. But they are changing their morality and denying their own principles."
TMC crisis LIVE updates: ‘Had you even heard the name of this party before yesterday?’ RJD leader on NCPI merger
TMC crisis LIVE updates: RJD leader Manoj Kumar Jha criticised the decision of 20 rebel TMC MPs to merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), questioning how a little-known party could suddenly acquire such a large parliamentary presence.
"Had you even heard the name of this party before yesterday? Did anyone in the country—other than the very people who created it?" Jha said while talking to ANI.
Calling it a worrying development for democracy, he added, "A 'non-entity' party, one that had secured a mere 800 votes across two assembly elections, suddenly acquired 20 Members of Parliament overnight."
"This is a dismal state of affairs for our democracy. If these tactics become the norm, then what becomes of democracy?... Indian democracy has been reduced to such a farcical state that the world's perception of us has drastically changed," he said.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: 'Any party can support the NDA; that doesn't make it BJP,' says BJP MLA
TMC crisis LIVE updates: BJP MLA Shankar Sikdar said the 20 rebel TMC MPs who merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) have formed a separate political outfit and are not part of the BJP.
"TMC's rebel leaders have joined with the NCPI of Tripura. They still formed a new party. Any party can support the NDA. This does not mean that they are a part of the BJP," Sikdar said, reported ANI.
Responding to TMC leader Madan Mitra's criticism of the rebel MPs, Sikdar said, "They should have thought about this earlier. In 2021, we had 77 MLAs. They threatened all the MLAs and took them."
He also took a swipe at Mitra, saying, "Madan Mitra feels this way right now, but 2 days later he will do the same thing."
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Arrest warrant issued against Abhishek Banerjee aide in land scam case
TMC crisis LIVE updates: A court in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district on Monday issued an arrest warrant against Sumit Roy, a close aide of TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, in connection with a land scam case.
Police said the warrant was issued after investigators informed the court that Roy could not be traced despite repeated attempts to locate him.
"Several teams have been trying to trace the accused for the past few days. As he could not be located and was not cooperating with the investigation, we moved court seeking an arrest warrant. The court has allowed our plea," an officer told PTI.
As part of the search operation, a team from Salboni police station, accompanied by central forces, reached Banerjee's Kalighat residence on Saturday.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: ‘TMC no longer seems to exist,’ says rebel MP Asit Kumar Mal defends breakaway move
TMC crisis LIVE updates: TMC rebel MP Asit Kumar Mal on Monday defended the decision of 20 Lok Sabha MPs to break away from the Trinamool Congress and merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), saying the group was formed to work in the interests of the people and promote regional development.
Speaking amid the political turmoil within the party and MPs' support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Mal said, "20 Lok Sabha MPs have signed to form a group dedicated to the best interests of the people and regional development. We believe that the government's programs will benefit the public, which is why we are supporting them."
Explaining the rationale behind the move, he added, "The TMC no longer seems to exist, so the question of being able to work for development while remaining in the party does not arise."(ANI)
TMC crisis LIVE updates: 'Why won't I be happy if my party grows?,' NCPI welcomes merger with 20 rebel MPs from TMC
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Following rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar's announcement that 20 MPs who were elected from Trinamool Congress (TMC) intend to merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), NCPI founder and national organising secretary Shantanu Dey stated he was previously unaware of these internal developments but welcomed the move and expressed openness to discussing further plans.
Speaking to ANI, Dey said that the decision about the merger from NCPI was taken by the party president, adding that he remains committed to the party's growth and expressed a willingness to engage with the new members to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi and work with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
"I got to know about this from social media and the news. I welcome them to hold talks with me. Why won't I be happy if my party grows? I have heard that the decision was taken by the party president. He has not called me about this yet. I want to take the party forward. If my party grows, we will be able to work for the country. We support PM Modi and wish to work with the NDA for the nation...If Kakoli Di speaks to us, then we will certainly go (to Delhi). I am hopeful that we will talk (NCPI & 20 TMC MPs. We will hold a press meet soon," he said.
This comes after the political turmoil within the AITC escalated sharply on Sunday as a significant faction of the party announced a rebellion.
Rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said that 20 Lok Sabha MPs have merged with the NCPI and will now extend their support to the NDA.
(ANI)
TMC crisis LIVE updates: 'I don't know who the new president is' NCPI founder distances herself from merger
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Sheuli Kundu, who said she was the founder president of the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), claimed she had stepped down from the post and was unaware of the party's current leadership.
"I was the founder president of this party. I have already resigned the post of president. The new president of the party can give details. I don't know who is new president," Kundu said while talking to ANI.
She said she would not comment on the merger of 20 rebel TMC MPs with the NCPI, adding that she had resigned because she could not devote enough time to party work due to her legal practice.
Kundu also disputed claims about Shantanu Dey's role in the party. "Shantanu Dey is neither the party founder nor the general secretary. He was not a member after 2023," she said.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Why did the rebels choose NCPI? Here's what we know
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), the party chosen by the 20 rebel TMC MPs for their proposed merger, is a little-known outfit formed in 2022. The rebels' choice of the NCPI is widely viewed as a way to sidestep anti-defection law.
The party last contested elections in 2023 and currently has no elected representative in any legislature in the country.
A BJP MP involved in discussions with the rebel camp told HT, that the NCPI has contested elections in West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya. The leader said the party was chosen to help the rebels retain their political connection with West Bengal while also giving the Northeast greater representation in the Lok Sabha.
If Speaker Om Birla approves the merger, the NCPI would go from having no MPs in Parliament to becoming the platform for one of the biggest defections in Lok Sabha history.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: West Bengal minister says, ‘Abhishek has done so many crimes’
TMC crisis LIVE updates: West Bengal minister Nisith Pramanik said he has faith in the investigative process as TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee appeared before the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in the teacher recruitment scam case.
"Abhishek Banerjee has done so many crimes...the truth will come out. We have full faith on the system to bring out the truth," Pramanik said, reported ANI.
The remarks come as Banerjee is being questioned by the ED on Monday in connection with its probe into alleged irregularities in teacher recruitment.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: ‘What has happened three years later now?’ Former NCPI candidate reacts to merger
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Barjeda Tripura, who contested the 2023 Tripura Assembly election on an NCPI ticket and secured 536 votes, said he was taken by surprise after learning that 20 rebel TMC MPs had merged with the little-known party.
"I contested in 2023. What has happened three years later now?" he told news agency PTI after being informed of the development.
A daily wage labourer, Barjeda said he entered the election after being approached by a person named Krishna Debbarma. "In 2023, a person called Krishna Debbarma had reached out to me about elections. So I contested. Many years ago, I was a supporter of the Congress," he said.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: ‘The TMC no longer seems to exist’, says Rebel MP while defending split
TMC crisis LIVE updates: TMC rebel MP Asit Kumar Mal defended the decision of 20 Lok Sabha MPs to break away from the party and merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), saying the group was formed to work for people's interests and regional development.
"20 Lok Sabha MPs have signed to form a group dedicated to the best interests of the people and regional development. We believe that the government's programs will benefit the public, which is why we are supporting them," Mal said, reported ANI.
Explaining the split, he added, "The TMC no longer seems to exist, so the question of being able to work for development while remaining in the party does not arise."
Mal also questioned the party leadership over the circumstances that led to the rebellion. "Regarding who is responsible for the disintegration of the party, only the leadership can answer. Following the elections, no discussions were held concerning our defeat," he said.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: ‘I got to know about this from social media’ says NCPI leader on merger
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Shantanu Dey, founder and National Organising Secretary of the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), said he learnt about the merger of 20 rebel TMC MPs with the party through social media and news reports.
"I got to know about this from social media and news. I welcome them to hold talks with me. Why won't I be happy if my party grows?" Dey said while talking to news agency ANI.
He said he had heard the decision was taken by the party president but had not yet been contacted. Dey added that the party supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi and wants to work with the NDA.
"If Kakoli Di speaks to us, then we will certainly go (to Delhi). I am hopeful that we will talk. We will hold a press meet soon," he said.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Rebel MP says Mamata ‘handed responsibility to Abhishek, that's why the party was ruined’
TMC crisis LIVE updates: TMC rebel MP Arup Chakraborty on Sunday blamed Abhishek Banerjee for the party's crisis, while claiming that Mamata Banerjee was unable to function independently due to pressure from within her family.
"Mamata Banerjee was not allowed to work happily. She was under family pressure... She was attacked. She was pushed one time at night. She suffered injuries... These stories from her house used to spread in the villages," Chakraborty told news agency ANI.
Claiming Mamata wanted to work "neutrally", the rebel MP alleged that she was prevented from doing so.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: 'Focus is on the money trail,' says ED on questioning Abhishek
TMC crisis LIVE updates: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee reached the Enforcement Directorate's CGO Complex office in Kolkata around 11 am on Monday after being summoned in a money laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in primary teacher recruitment.
A senior ED official said investigators would record Banerjee's statement and confront him with financial documents, digital records and statements of other accused.
"Our focus is on the money trail. Who handled funds, how they moved across accounts and entities, and whether these transactions were layered to conceal their origin," the official tols news agency PTI.
The agency will also seek explanations for "inconsistencies observed between earlier submissions and fresh materials recovered during searches" and examine the role of intermediaries and beneficiary entities identified during forensic analysis.
"We have obtained bank records and communication data that indicate the involvement of multiple fronts. Today's examination aims to reconcile those data points with Banerjee's version," the official added.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: ‘Everybody from TMC will join us,’ says Rebel MP Arup Chakraborty
TMC crisis LIVE updates: TMC rebel MP Arup Chakraborty claimed more leaders from the party would eventually join the breakaway camp, saying the group's objective was to "rectify" the party.
"Everybody from TMC will join us. Where else can they go? All of them have to be in politics. There will be rectification. We want to rectify our party," he said while talking to news agency ANI.
Responding to Abhishek Banerjee's description of the rebel MPs as “traitors”, Chakraborty said those who led the party were responsible for the split.
"The people who ran the party are responsible for this rift... Who is a traitor? The one who puts a party worker in custody, the one who turns to the other side after losing the election, and doesn't look after the worker," he said.
Chakraborty also asserted his loyalty to Mamata Banerjee, saying, "I am with Didi, I am Didi's shadow. Everything was with Didi. We came to the party after seeing Didi. Everyone came with Didi. But Didi has aged. Didi is not allowed to work..."
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Abhishek Banerjee reaches ED office for questioning in school jobs case
TMC crisis LIVE updates: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee on Monday arrived at the Enforcement Directorate's office in Salt Lake, Kolkata, for questioning in connection with alleged irregularities in the primary school recruitment scam case.
Visuals shared by news agency PTI Banerjee leaving for the ED office, where he is expected to be questioned by agency officials.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Former NCPI candidate surprised by merger
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Barjeda Tripura, who contested the 2023 Tripura Assembly election on an NCPI ticket and secured 536 votes, said he was surprised to learn that 20 rebel TMC MPs had chosen to merge with the little-known party.
"I contested in 2023. What has happened three years later now?" he asked news agency PTI after being informed of the development.
Barjeda, a daily wage labourer, told the news agency that he had contested the election after being approached by a person named Krishna Debbarma. "In 2023, a person called Krishna Debbarma had reached out to me about elections. So I contested. Many years ago, I was a supporter of the Congress," he said.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: ‘Reject political turncoats’ was NCPI's slogan in 2023 polls
TMC crisis LIVE updates: The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), the little-known party that 20 rebel TMC MPs have chosen for their proposed merger, campaigned in the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections with the slogan: “To save your rights, reject political turncoats.”
The party contested three seats – Chawamanu, Ambassa and Kailashahar – in the election. Its candidates either finished behind NOTA or secured only marginally more votes, reported news agency PTI.
NCPI is a registered unrecognised political party with its registered address in Howrah, West Bengal. Party president Sheuli Kundu is listed as an advocate practising in the Calcutta high court, the report added.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Rebel MP Arup Chakraborty says ‘want to put an end to bloodshed’
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Defending the decision of rebel TMC MPs to merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), MP Arup Chakraborty said the move was aimed at ending political violence and fostering cooperation between the Centre and the state.
“50 years have passed, yet the people of India, or the state, received nothing. One side says Delhi doesn't give funds. The other says the state doesn't deliver. Now, a new approach has begun. The two governments are working together,” Chakraborty said, reported news agency ANI.
“We want to put an end to bloodshed. Engage in politics freely... That cycle of violence, killing during one term, then the other side retaliating in the next, cannot go on,” he added.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: 'NCPI route offered a workable parliamentary solution'
TMC crisis LIVE updates: The rebel TMC faction's decision to merge with the little-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) was driven by legal and procedural considerations, news agency PTI reported citing sources familiar with the move.
The rebels had initially planned to break away from the TMC parliamentary party, form a separate group in Parliament and extend support to the BJP-led NDA, the PTI sources said. However, parliamentary rules left little scope for such an arrangement.
The NCPI route, they said, offered a way to move collectively while avoiding procedural hurdles.
A senior rebel MP said the decision was based on "practical considerations rather than ideology".
"We wanted to move collectively and create a political space outside Mamata Banerjee's control without triggering unnecessary procedural hurdles. The NCPI route offered a workable parliamentary solution," the MP said, the report added.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: ‘Who knows NCPI?’ Saugata Roy attacks rebel MPs' merger move
TMC crisis LIVE updates: TMC leader Saugata Roy slammed the proposed merger of 20 rebel MPs with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), calling the move "ridiculous" and accusing the dissidents of trying to please the BJP.
"Once you betray the party on whose symbol you were elected, how will you face your constituents? This merger is ridiculous. Who knows NCPI? Can they go to their constituencies and tell people that they are now part of NCPI? This merger reflects the desperation of the traitors to please their BJP masters," Roy told news agency PTI.
Alleging BJP backing for the move, Roy said the rebels chose the NCPI route because parliamentary rules do not allow recognition of a separate faction within an existing party.
"That is why they took this route with direct support from the BJP. This is ridiculous. The public support will remain with the TMC led by Mamata Banerjee and not with the traitors," he said.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), the party chosen by the 20 rebel TMC MPs for their proposed merger, is a relatively little-known outfit formed in 2022.
The party last contested elections in 2023 and currently has no elected representative in any legislature across the country.
According to a BJP MP involved in discussions with the rebel camp, the NCPI has contested polls in West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya. The leader said the party was chosen to help the rebels retain their political connection with West Bengal while also giving the Northeast greater representation in the Lok Sabha.
If Speaker Om Birla approves the merger, the NCPI would go from having no MPs in Parliament to becoming the vehicle for one of the biggest defections in Lok Sabha history.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: What Abhishek Banerjee said in letter to Speaker Om Birla
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Ahead of the rebel MPs' meeting with Speaker Om Birla, TMC Lok Sabha floor leader Abhishek Banerjee wrote to the Speaker, arguing that a split within the party cannot be recognised under the anti-defection law.
Citing the Supreme Court's ruling in the Maharashtra political crisis case, Abhishek said a "split" is no longer available under the Tenth Schedule.
“The AITC is a single, indivisible political party... There is in law only one AITC, one Leader of the Party in the House, and one Whip, all of whom hold office by authority of the political party and its competent organisational authority. No member or set of members can, by their own volition, carve out a parallel “group” or “faction” of the same party and claim independent recognition within the House,” he wrote.
TMC crisis LIVE updates: ‘Disqualify them!’ Sibal on rebel TMC MPs' merger bid
TMC crisis LIVE updates: Senior lawyer and independent MP Kapil Sibal said the 20 rebel TMC MPs seeking to merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) should be “disqualified.”
“TMC rebels : Will merge with Nationalist Citizens Party (NCP) Indian Democracy has become the ‘theatre of the absurd’ A joke ! The rebels of the TMC legislative party cannot merge with a political party ; that can happen only if the TMC wished to do so ! Disqualify them !” he posted on X.
Under the Tenth Schedule, disqualification does not apply if the original political party merges with another party and at least two-thirds of the members of the legislature party support the merger.
