Trinamool Congress rebels merge with Tripura's Nationalist Citizens Party, vow to back NDA

A group of rebel members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in India's Lok Sabha have announced a merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party, a small regional party from Tripura. Led by senior MP Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, the rebels met Speaker Om Birla and submitted legal paperwork to formalise the merger, claiming the support of roughly 20‑22 of TMC's 28 Lok Sabha members.

The move is presented as a strategy to avoid disqualification under the anti‑defection law, which penalises party splits unless a two‑thirds majority of members joins a new party. By merging into an existing regional party, the rebels aim to retain their seats and have signalled that they will join the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Several MPs, including Sudip Bandyopadhyay, have also met Home Minister Amit Shah, though they have not yet made a public declaration.

The merger is expected to be challenged before the Election Commission and the courts during the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, where the legal status of the defectors and the use of the TMC symbol will be scrutinised.