Kolkata, Sept 2026 : As many as 17 of the 20 Trinamool Congress-turned-Nationalist Citizens’ Party of India (NCPI) Lok Sabha members from West Bengal are likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) directly next month, before or shortly after Durga Puja, claimed Cooch Behar MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia on Monday.
Basunia, who is among the prominent members of the NCPI MPs’ group, said that 17 MPs had decided to formally join the BJP, while three members from Murshidabad district would not join the party directly.
The three MPs are Abu Taher Khan of Murshidabad, Yusuf Pathan of Baharampur and Khalilur Rahman of Jangipur. All three represent constituencies with substantial minority populations in Murshidabad district.
According to Basunia, while the three MPs have decided against directly joining the BJP, they will continue to remain associated with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He said the other 17 MPs would move from the NCPI to the BJP in the coming weeks.
“There are some practical problems for the three Muslim MPs in directly joining the BJP as they are elected representatives from minority-dominated constituencies,” Basunia said. He added that despite their decision, the three MPs would continue to support and remain part of the NDA.
Basunia also claimed that the proposed move would not attract the anti-defection law because the number of MPs involved exceeds the required two-thirds threshold.
He said the NCPI group currently has 20 Lok Sabha members and that 14 MPs would have been sufficient to meet the two-thirds requirement. With 17 members opting to join the BJP, he argued that the group would remain outside the scope of disqualification under the anti-defection provisions.
The MPs’ formal switch is expected to take place either before or immediately after the Durga Puja celebrations, he said.
The political development comes against the backdrop of major changes in West Bengal politics following the 2026 Assembly elections. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Trinamool Congress had won 28 of West Bengal’s 42 parliamentary seats. However, following the party’s reported defeat in the 2026 Assembly polls, the 20 MPs subsequently joined the virtually inactive NCPI and became associated with the NDA.
The group had already approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking recognition as NCPI members in the House. However, that recognition has not yet been granted.
According to the current Lok Sabha records, the 20 MPs continue to be listed as Trinamool Congress members. The pending recognition has therefore added another layer of uncertainty to the proposed political realignment.
Basunia’s latest claim has intensified speculation over the future political alignment of the MPs and the possible impact of their proposed move on the Opposition’s strength in Parliament.
With the proposed BJP induction expected around the Durga Puja period, the issue is likely to remain a major talking point in West Bengal’s political circles in the coming weeks.
