New Delhi: At least 20 rebel MLAs of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and said that they have merged with Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), bolstering the National Democratic Alliance and setting the stage for what is reportedly one of the biggest defections in India’s parliamentary history.
Merger under review
Notably, NCPI doesn't have a single MP/MLA anywhere in the country. According to a Lok Sabha functionary, the Speaker will now review the signatures of 20 MPs before approving the merger.
If the merger gets approved, the party will become the NDA's second-largest party in the lower house, and the NCPI will also become the fifth-largest party in the Lok Sabha.
About NCPI
The NCPI was registered with the Election Commission as a Registered Unrecognised Political Party (RUPP) on January 20, 2023, just weeks before the Tripura state elections. Despite being registered in Bengal, the party chose to make its electoral debut in Tripura.
The party received total donations of just Rs 1.13 lakh, according to Election Commission records.
RSS connect
One of the founding members of the NCPI is Sujit Dey, a social worker and a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker, according to India Today report. As soon as the news of the merger broke out, he expressed his dissatisfaction in a telephonic conversation with India Today.
"Our party fought fiercely against the TMC on the ground during the Tripura Assembly elections," Dey said.
