Rebel TMC MP Claims Majority of NCPI Group to Join BJP
4 sources · India
Who reported this
- Scroll.in
- The Hindu
- The Indian Express
- Hindustan Times
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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Every source for this story reports from India.
Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, a rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP, claimed on Monday that 17 of the 20 members of Parliament who joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) are prepared to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) around the time of the Durga Puja festivities. Basunia stated that because more than two thirds of the group would be switching, the anti defection law would not apply to them. He further alleged that the BJP had facilitated the group's initial move to the NCPI in June to avoid disqualification, as three minority MPs were unwilling to join the BJP directly. Basunia suggested that these three MPs, Abu Taher Khan, Khalilur Rahaman, and Yusuf Pathan, would remain in the NCPI while supporting the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and might be granted government portfolios.
The claims were immediately disputed by several parties. Fellow rebel MP Abu Taher Khan stated that Basunia was not authorized to speak for the group and asserted that he and the other minority MPs would not join the BJP or support the NDA. Other rebel MPs, including Satabdi Roy, Arup Roy, and Kalipada Soren, either declined to comment or stated they were unaware of any such decision. The BJP also distanced itself from the claim. West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya stated that the party would not accept members merely because they wanted to join, while spokesperson Debjit Sarkar said the party had no information regarding the development.
The legal status of the 20 MPs remains contested. While they have sought recognition as a separate NCPI group and the Lok Sabha Speaker has allowed them to sit separately, they are still listed as TMC members in official records. TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has petitioned the Supreme Court and the Lok Sabha Speaker for their disqualification, arguing that the merger does not meet the requirements of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. This turmoil follows a broader period of instability for the TMC in West Bengal, which includes a rebellion by nearly 60 of its 80 assembly members and the resignation of several Rajya Sabha members.
How each side framed it
- Left
- The report framed the event within the context of the BJP as a Hindutva party and detailed the broader collapse of TMC leadership.
- Centre-left
- The coverage emphasized the BJP's rejection of the rebels and the ongoing legal battle for disqualification.
- Centre
- The report focused on the internal contradictions and the specific logistical claims regarding the anti defection law.
- Centre-right
- The framing highlighted the scale of the defection as a significant claim and provided context on the NCPI's lack of prior presence.
Sources
- Centre-right Hindustan Times: 17 NCPI MPs to join BJP before Durga Puja: Rebel TMC leader's big claim
- Left Scroll.in: 20 TMC MPs who had merged with Tripura-based NCPI to join BJP, claims rebel leader
- Centre-left The Hindu: Rebel Trinamool MP Basunia claims 17 of 20 NCPI MPs to join BJP; fellow rebels, ruling party deny
- Centre The Indian Express: TMC rebels to join BJP after Durga Puja? Remark sparks Bengal buzz
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.