What Is NCPI? The Tripura-Based Party at the Heart of the TMC MPs' Rebellion

In a major political development, 19 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) Members of Parliament met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday to announce their formal merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The dissident bloc, led by high-profile lawmakers including Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, confirmed that they will transition into the new party framework while extending their outside support to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The unexpected shift effectively ends days of speculation regarding a fracturing opposition alignment within the lower house of Parliament.

Navigating the Anti-Defection Hurdle

The decision to merge with an established, outside political entity came after intense deliberations at the New Delhi residence of Union Minister Bhupender Yadav. Initially, the rebel faction explored claiming the status of the "real" Trinamool Congress or operating as an independent splinter group. However, following formal objections raised by the main TMC leadership—who submitted legal briefs to Speaker Birla arguing that any attempt to split the parliamentary group violated basic constitutional tenets—the dissidents shifted strategies. Merging with an existing political party provides the lawmakers a strategic buffer against disqualification under India's strict anti-defection laws. TMC Split Widens: Rebel MPs Merge With NCPI, Back NDA.

Following the meeting with Speaker Birla, rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar confirmed the group's trajectory, stating to reporters that they had requested separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha under the NCPI banner.

What is the NCPI?

The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) is a small, relatively obscure political outfit that was formed in 2023. Prior to this weekend’s developments, the party’s operations were tightly restricted to small pockets within the Northeast, maintaining a marginal organizational presence in Tripura and parts of Assam. Because the party has maintained a largely friendly stance toward the ruling NDA since its inception, it emerged as a convenient vehicle for the Bengal-centric dissidents looking to pivot toward the treasury benches without triggering immediate legal penalties or by-elections.

Shift in National Parliament Dynamics

The mass defection represents a significant structural blow to Mamata Banerjee’s TMC in New Delhi. High-profile dissident MPs such as Saayoni Ghosh, Mala Roy, Rachna Banerjee, and veteran actor-politician Dev are among those moving under the new NCPI banner. The development follows weeks of internal friction within the TMC, exacerbated by the resignation of high-profile Rajya Sabha members like Prakash Chik Baraik and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray. 'We Will Work With NDA Under PM Modi': Rebel TMC Faction Stakes Claim to More Than 2-3rd of Party Strength After Meeting Om Birla (Watch Video).

While TMC representatives like Kirti Azad have publicly categorized the split as an engineered "Operation Lotus" managed by the ruling dispensation, the rebel lawmakers have maintained that their shifting allegiance is born of ideological fractures within West Bengal's ruling party. By absorbing this 19-member faction, the NCPI achieves overnight prominence as a recognized parliamentary group, and the NDA gains a reinforced cushion in the lower house.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 14, 2026 09:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).