Trinamool Congress rebels merge with NCPI, pledge support to NDA

A faction of twenty Lok Sabha MPs from the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) announced that they have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and will support the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, the rebels met Speaker Om Birla and submitted a letter requesting a separate seating arrangement, claiming they represent more than two‑thirds of the party’s strength in the House. Senior MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, who recently joined the breakaway group, endorsed the merger and said the courts will decide the right to the TMC name. The rebels have held meetings with Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, fueling speculation about a broader realignment with the BJP. The move deepens the internal crisis of the Trinamool Congress, prompting Mamata Banerjee’s leadership to reshuffle party posts and denounce the defections as betrayals. TMC leaders have filed objections with the Speaker, citing Supreme Court rulings that prohibit a split of an existing party and warning that the anti‑defection law could lead to disqualification of the rebels.