Kolkata, 14 September (H.S.): Seventeen of the 20 Lok Sabha members from West Bengal who had moved from the Trinamool Congress to the Nationalist Citizens’ Party of India (NCPI) are likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) next month, Cooch Behar MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia claimed on Monday.

Basunia, a prominent member of the NCPI MPs’ camp, said the remaining three MPs, Abu Taher Khan from Murshidabad, Yusuf Pathan from Baharampur and Khalilur Rahman from Jangipur, do not want to join the BJP directly. However, he said the three MPs would continue to remain part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

According to Basunia, the remaining 17 MPs will leave the NCPI and join the BJP either before or immediately after Durga Puja. He claimed that 14 MPs were required to meet the two-thirds threshold for a merger under the anti-defection law, while their group has 17 MPs. Therefore, he said, the provisions of the anti-defection law would not apply to them.

Explaining why the three MPs from Murshidabad district would not join the BJP directly, Basunia said they represent minority-dominated constituencies and therefore face practical difficulties in formally joining the BJP. However, he reiterated that they would continue to remain with the NDA.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Trinamool Congress won 28 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. Following the Trinamool Congress’ defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, the 20 MPs moved to the NCPI and also became part of the NDA.

The 20 MPs have already approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking recognition as NCPI members in the House. However, no such recognition has been granted so far. According to the Lok Sabha records, they continue to be listed as Trinamool Congress members.

Against this backdrop, Basunia’s latest claim has triggered fresh political speculation in West Bengal. If the 17 MPs join the BJP, it could significantly alter the parliamentary strength of the BJP and the NDA in the state.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh