Will 17 Rebel TMC MPs Join BJP? Anti-Defection Law Puts Big Hurdle in the Way

Claims made by rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia regarding an impending jump of 17 lawmakers into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) around Durga Puja have run into steep legal, political, and internal hurdles. Despite public assertions that the group is preparing for a formal entry into the ruling party at the Centre, a combination of anti-defection proceedings, legal ambiguity, and pushback from both local BJP units and fellow dissenters has effectively stalled the transition.

The Spark Behind the Shift

The current impasse stems from statements made by Cooch Behar MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, who asserted that 17 out of 20 rebel TMC parliamentarians intended to join the BJP either before or after the upcoming festive season. The 20-member dissident faction originally split from the main TMC body following the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections and temporarily aligned under the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). '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).

According to Basunia, the move to join the BJP was intended to formalize their alignment with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), leaving three minority-community MPs—Abu Taher Khan, Yusuf Pathan, and Khalilur Rahaman—within the NCPI to offer external support.

Legal Limbo Under the Anti-Defection Law

A primary barrier to any formal entry into the BJP is the complex legal status of the rebel group. While the MPs claim to have executed a valid merger with the NCPI to meet the two-thirds threshold mandated by the Constitution's Tenth Schedule, Lok Sabha records still classify them as members of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC).

Furthermore, the Lok Sabha Secretariat issued disqualification notices to the 20 MPs following petitions filed by TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee. With the Lok Sabha Speaker's final recognition pending and the Supreme Court agreeing to expedite proceedings, legal experts note that joining the BJP directly at this junction exposes the lawmakers to immediate disqualification risk, as the protection under the two-thirds merger clause remains unverified in court. The Secretariat has extended the deadline for the MPs to submit their official response to September 22. ‘BJP Is Using Police to Break TMC From Within’: Mamata Banerjee Alleges Threats to Party MLAs.

Resistance Within the BJP Ranks

Beyond constitutional hurdles, the prospective migration faces strong opposition within the West Bengal unit of the BJP. Party leaders and local cadre have expressed reluctance to absorb high-profile defectors who were until recently political adversaries.

West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya publicly distanced the party from the announcement, stating that no such entry was scheduled and pointing to past political friction. Local legislators, including Baranagar MLA Sajal Ghosh, have also voiced internal discomfort regarding the integration of former TMC heavyweights, reflecting broader concerns about alienating core party workers ahead of upcoming municipal elections.

Division Among Dissenting Parliamentarians

The plan is further complicated by a lack of consensus within the rebel faction itself. Key members of the 20-MP group have publicly distanced themselves from Basunia’s declarations.

Lawmakers such as Murshidabad MP Abu Taher Khan categorically rejected the idea of entering the BJP, while senior figures like Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Bankura MP Arup Roy, and Jhargram MP Kalipada Soren either declined to endorse the timeline or stated they were unaware of an organized move. The absence of a unified stance undermines claims of a cohesive transfer and leaves the faction caught in political limbo.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 15, 2026 04:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).