New Twist in TMC Exodus! Rebels appoint Kakoli Ghosh as NCPI chief

In a dramatic political maneuver to bypass the anti-defection law, a breakaway faction of 20 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha MPs has officially merged with the obscure Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). Led by senior parliamentarian Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, the rebels have effectively taken over the little-known party just days before announcing their formal shift. Dastidar was elected president of the NCPI on May 30, following the strategic resignation of the incumbent chief, Shewly Kundu, setting the stage for an organized transition.

The move was carefully timed after the dissidents demonstrated that they command more than a two-thirds majority of the TMC’s total 28-member strength in the Lower House, shielding them from parliamentary disqualification. On Sunday, the group formally notified Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla of their merger and requested a separate seating arrangement on the treasury benches as part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The rebellion is reportedly fueled by deep-seated resentment toward TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, whose centralizing authority and leadership style have alienated senior party members.

Although top BJP leaders have maintained official silence, strategic backing from key figures like West Bengal leader Suvendu Adhikari and Union Minister Bhupender Yadav played a critical role in engineering the transition. Several organizational meetings for the breakaway faction were reportedly held at Yadav’s residence to refine their legal and political strategy. If the Lok Sabha Speaker formally ratifies the merger, the NCPI will instantly transform from an unrecognised regional entity into the fifth-largest political party in the Lok Sabha.