NCPI merger, NDA's number game; another egg attack: TMC troubles see no end | The latest

THe Trinamool united states congress (TMC) identity element crisis took a surprisal turn over on sun when 20 rebel MPs, led by Kakoli Ghosh, told speaker Om Birla that they have merged with a little-known Tripura-based party, strengthening the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and setting the stage for one of the biggest defections in India’s parliamentary history.At least 20 lawmakers of the TMC met Birla on Sunday and submitted a letter that said the rebel group had merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India or NCPI, which was formed in 2022 and fought its last election in 2023.The party currently doesn’t have a lawmaker anywhere in the country. According to a Lok Sabha functionary, Birla will now verify the signatures of 20 MPs before approving the merger.“We, 20 MPs, have now merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party and will work with the NDA under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah,” said rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, after the meeting with Birla.With the merger, the strength of the Bhartiya Janata Party-led NDA has soared to 314 seats.Latest in TMC crisisStructure to remain same: The 20 lawmakers who quit the Trinamool Congress to join the Nationalist Congress Party of India (NCPI) are set to retain a structure similar to the one they had in the TMC.Former TMC Lok Sabha floor leader Sudip Bandopadhyay, former party chief whip and a key rebel face Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, deputy leader Shatabdi Ray, popular filmstars Deepak Adhikari, Saayoni Ghosh and June Maliah were among the 20 rebels. Arup Chakraborty, Partha Bhowmik, cricketer Yusuf Pathan, Sharmila Sarkar, Mala Ray, former Indian football captain Prasun Banerjee, Asit Mal, Khalilur Rehman, Abu Taher Khan, Jagadish Basunia, Kalipada Soren, Mitali Bag, Bapi Haldar and Khalilur Rehman were also present in the meeting."The discussions are going on. There is no change. The earlier arrangement would continue," an earlier HT report quoted Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, the face of the rebel MPs, as saying.According to two people familiar with the matter, Dastidar will become chief whip of the NCPI - a role she previously held in the TMC before being replaced by Kalyan Banerjee.Veteran MP Sudip Bandopadhyay, who served as TMC's floor leader in the Lok Sabha before Abhishek Banerjee replaced him last year, is expected to become the NCPI's floor leader. Shatabdi Roy is likely to be named deputy leader.The rebel bloc has also openly backed the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). "We are going to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah," Dastidar said.NDA strength jumps to 314 seats in Lok Sabha: The defection has significantly boosted the NDA's numbers in Parliament. With the support of the 20 former TMC MPs, the alliance's strength in the Lok Sabha has risen from 294 to 314 seats. In the Rajya Sabha, the ruling bloc could potentially touch 155 seats after upcoming biennial polls and by-elections.Despite the gains, the NDA remains short of the two-thirds majority required for Constitutional amendments - by 46 seats in the Lok Sabha and eight in the Rajya Sabha.According to Article 368, a Constitution Amendment bill has to be "passed in each House by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting." Read full report hereSenior NCPI leader questions merger: NCPI national secretary Shantanu Dey said the party president had not discussed any merger proposal with other office-bearers and suggested that the decision lacked organisational approval."The party president never spoke about the merger within the party. Such decisions cannot be taken by himself," PTI news agency quoted Dey, who indicated possible differences within the organisation over the dramatic political development that has thrust the obscure party into the national spotlight. Dey also said the NCPI's political activities were largely confined to Tripura and that the party had never been an active force in West Bengal."Although the party was registered in West Bengal in 2023, the state has never been among our principal areas of operation," he said.BJP eyes key legislations amid improved numbers: The political churn has triggered speculation that the Narendra Modi government may revive some of its most ambitious legislative proposals.There are indications that the NDA could attempt to reintroduce bills linked to delimitation and expansion of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 815 seats, based on the 2011 Census.The government may also push forward with the "One Nation, One Election" proposal, which is currently before a Joint Committee of Parliament.Under the proposed delimitation plan, Uttar Pradesh's Lok Sabha tally would rise from 80 to 120 seats, while Tamil Nadu's representation would increase from 39 to 59 seats.However, opposition to the proposal remains strong, especially from southern parties.DMK MP A Raja said last week, "The DMK is in principle opposed to the delimitation bill in its present format. We have to see what are the changes."A BJP lawmaker, speaking anonymously, acknowledged the challenge ahead: "It is not that the NDA can reach the magic figure overnight. In Lok Sabha, the government needs to bridge a wide gap to pass any Constitution amendment bill."Opposition attacks 'manufactured' split: Opposition parties have sharply criticised the defections and the sudden rise of the relatively unknown NCPI.RJD leader Manoj Kumar Jha said, "Had you even heard the name of this party before yesterday? Did anyone in the country - other than the very people who created it? This is a dismal state of affairs for our democracy. If these tactics become the norm, then what becomes of democracy?... A 'non-entity' party, one that had secured a mere 800 votes across two assembly elections, suddenly acquired 20 Members of Parliament overnight... Indian democracy has been reduced to such a farcical state that the world's perception of us has drastically changed."Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also accused the BJP leadership of engineering the defections to secure a future Constitutional majority."A rattled central Home Minister-who is a blot on the dignity of that office once held by Sardar Patel-has brazenly dragged Indian democracy to new lows. He has hatched a conspiracy to illegally engineer the defection of 20 TMC MPs and orchestrate their complete, utterly dubious merger with a political entity that hardly anyone has even heard of," he said."This bizarre manoeuvre is part of the central Home Minister's strategy to cobble together a two-thirds majority for the NDA in the Lok Sabha. As long as he remains in that position, decency, propriety, and fidelity to constitutional values and principles will continue to erode and remain under threat every single day," he added.TMC fights back as Bengal unit shows signs of deeper split: The Trinamool Congress has challenged the legitimacy of the split and moved quickly to prevent disqualification issues from escalating.On Sunday, rebel MPs met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla shortly after Mamata Banerjee loyalists Kirti Azad and Sagarika Ghose submitted a letter from TMC Lok Sabha floor leader Abhishek Banerjee.The letter stated that "split is no longer available under the Tenth Schedule" and that the TMC remains "a single, indivisible political party".Mamata's mounting troubles: The TMC, founded by former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, has been all over the place since its crushing defeat against the BJP in the recently concluded state elections. In back-to-back blows, Mamata Banerjee has witnessed MPs and MLAs forming rebel camps, members of Parliament stepping down, mayors resigning and “attacks” on leaders siding with her in recent weeks. Most leaders have cited corruption and “arrogant” Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee's nephew, as the reason for their rebellion.The crisis began in the West Bengal assembly, with at least 59 TMC legislators earlier this month electing their own leader of the Opposition — Ritabrata Chakraborty — against the wishes of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee.Egg hurled at Kunal Ghosh: TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh was targeted with an egg outside party supremo Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence in south Kolkata on Monday evening, shortly after he came out of the house.The incident took place around 6.30 pm when Ghosh, the MLA from Beliaghata in north Kolkata, stopped to speak to reporters outside the residence. A man, who was later identified as Chandan, allegedly threw an egg at Ghosh from close range. Though Ghosh tried to duck, the egg hit his head and broke on impact, onlookers said.Justifying his action, Chandan alleged that Ghosh had committed excesses."He (Ghosh) deserves to be hit with eggs. He has committed many atrocities and done many wrong things," PTI quoted Chandan as alleging.The attack came days after Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee's nephew and Diamond Harbour MP was attacked, pelted with eggs, shoes, stones and slushy mud at Sonarpur during his maiden public appearance since the party's poll drubbing in the state.