Key Facts
In a significant political development, 20 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a Tripura-based registered but unrecognised political outfit. The Congress party has alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah orchestrated this move to bolster the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) strength in the Lok Sabha.
Congress Escalates Attack on Amit Shah
Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh launched a scathing attack on Amit Shah, accusing him of undermining democratic norms. In a post on X, Ramesh stated: A desperate Union home minister – who is an absolute disgrace to the position once held by Sardar Patel – has taken Indian democracy to new lows in a shameless manner.
Ramesh further alleged that the merger was not incidental but orchestrated. He has masterminded the illegal breakaway of 20 TMC MPs and their wholly questionable fusion with an unheard of and reportedly registered but unrecognised political outfit formed just three years back,
the Congress leader said.
He added that the NCPI could potentially emerge as a significant constituent within the NDA, even overtaking established allies like the TDP and JD(U), which he said should be raising objections to what he termed downgrade
through underhand tactics
.
Impact on Parliamentary Balance
If the merger is formally approved, the TMC's strength in the Lok Sabha would drop sharply from around 28 MPs to just 8. In the Rajya Sabha, the party has already declined from 13 to 10 members. For the NDA, the Lok Sabha tally would rise from 294 to 314 seats. However, this would still leave the alliance 46 seats short of a two-thirds majority, though it would come within eight seats of that mark in the Upper House.
The Congress' concerns come as the reduction in TMC strength would significantly weaken the INDIA bloc’s capacity to challenge the BJP-led NDA in Parliament.
What Readers Should Know
- The merger was announced on Sunday when 20 rebel TMC MPs met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
- NCPI is a Tripura-based registered but unrecognised political outfit formed three years ago.
- A BJP MP involved in the discussions told HT that NCPI was chosen to maintain the rebels’ political linkage with West Bengal while also projecting symbolic outreach towards the Northeast.
FAQ
How many TMC MPs merged with NCPI?
20 rebel TMC MPs announced their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).
What is the NDA's new Lok Sabha tally after the merger?
The NDA's tally would rise from 294 to 314 seats, still 46 short of a two-thirds majority.
What did Congress leader Jairam Ramesh say?
He accused Amit Shah of masterminding an 'illegal breakaway' to engineer a two-thirds majority for the NDA, calling it a threat to democratic norms.