Kolkata/New Delhi, 04 August (H.S.) : A delegation of 22 Members of Parliament (MPs) from the National Congress Progressive Initiative (NCPI) met West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at Banga Bhawan in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss development-related issues concerning their respective parliamentary constituencies.

The meeting, which lasted for nearly an hour, was also attended by Union Minister Bhupender Yadav and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey. Among those present were Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, and 16 other NCPI MPs. Three Rajya Sabha MPs—Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev, and Prakash Chik Baraik—who had earlier switched from the Trinamool Congress to the BJP, also attended the meeting.

The meeting was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., but Chief Minister Adhikari reportedly arrived later than planned because of traffic congestion caused by another political programme in the national capital.

After the meeting, the Chief Minister left for Parliament without making any public comments.

Speaking to reporters, NCPI MP Satabdi Roy said the discussions focused primarily on development projects and administrative issues concerning the MPs' constituencies. She clarified that there was no specific discussion on NCPI or party politics.

The meeting was very good and productive. We will also hold a formal meeting with the Chief Minister at Nabanna in the coming days, Roy said.

However, NCPI MP Rachana Banerjee sparked political speculation by remarking, We are 20 now. The number may increase. When asked who else might join, she declined to elaborate, saying, You can understand. She added that the Chief Minister had guided the MPs and offered suggestions on developmental issues.

Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy described the interaction as a courtesy meeting and refrained from making any further comments. MP Prakash Chik Baraik also maintained that the discussions were centred on development.

The meeting attracted attention as three NCPI MPs—Abu Taher, Khalilur Rahman, and Yusuf Pathan—who had skipped an important NDA meeting earlier in the day, attended the interaction with the Chief Minister. Responding to questions about their absence from the NDA meeting, Abu Taher said, We are neither part of the NDA nor the BJP.

The meeting has fuelled political speculation over the evolving equations between the NCPI leadership and the ruling establishment, although the participating MPs maintained that the discussions were confined to development and governance.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh