Jagadish Basunia Claims 17 NCPI MPs Will Join BJP Before or After Durga Puja

Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia has claimed that 17 of the 20 MPs associated with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) are likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before or after Durga Puja in October.

According to the claim, the possible shift could mark another major change in the political alignment of the rebel MPs who moved away from the Trinamool Congress and joined the NCPI. The group has been treated as a separate parliamentary formation and has participated in NDA meetings.

However, the claim about 17 MPs joining the BJP has not been independently confirmed by the MPs named in the report or by an official BJP statement. The BJP’s West Bengal unit has also previously indicated that its state strategy may differ from arrangements at the national level.

Political Background

Twenty rebel TMC MPs joined the NCPI earlier this year and sought recognition as a separate parliamentary group. The move has triggered an ongoing political and legal dispute, including proceedings related to possible disqualification under the anti-defection law.

The reported BJP move, if it happens, could further reshape the political equation ahead of the next round of electoral contests in West Bengal.