The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), previously obscure, has gained national attention after 20 rebel TMC MPs merged with it. The Tripura-based party now claims to be the largest parliamentary bloc from West Bengal, holding 20 Lok Sabha seats. Its registered address in Howrah is linked to a couple running an NGO, and a founder member has expressed support for PM Modi and a desire to join the NDA.
A day after 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs announced their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a senior functionary of the outfit questioned the decision, claiming the party leadership had never been consulted on the move and that such a decision could not be taken unilaterally.
Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar announced that 20 dissident Lok Sabha members from TMC have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and pledged support to the NDA under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The group expects its numbers to increase to 22 and clarified they have no connection with rebel TMC MLAs in West Bengal. Dastidar also highlighted the alleged non-implementation of central schemes in West Bengal by the previous TMC government.
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) has named Jyotiprakash Chatterji as its new president, a development that follows the merger of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) rebel Lok Sabha faction with the party. This announcement by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a key figure in the dissident camp, comes amidst speculation about the party's leadership after its founder stepped down. However, details about Chatterji and the party's internal workings remain unclear, with some existing members expressing unawareness of the change.
Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee has been suspended from the Lok Sabha for the remainder of the Monsoon session due to his use of "unsavoury" language against women members during a heated exchange with NCPI members.
The NDA's parliamentary party meetings will now be known as 'Mangal Milan', with the first under this new name scheduled for July 21. This change was informally discussed in the Union cabinet. Additionally, the newly formed Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), comprising 20 MPs who defected from the TMC, is seeking formal recognition and parliamentary facilities, including a party office and designated floor leaders.
An all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of Parliament's Monsoon Session on Sunday saw the entire opposition staging a symbolic walkout over the invitation to rebel Trinamool Congress MPs and a demand for a discussion on the issues of Ram temple donation 'theft', NEET paper leak and mixing of ethanol in petrol.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and allowed separate seating for 20 rebel TMC lawmakers who joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), ahead of the Monsoon session.
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India's campaign posters carry the message: 'To save your rights, reject political turncoats. Support social workers, not political personalities,' and urges voters to press the symbol of a pen nib.
Twenty rebel Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MPs have merged with the obscure Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a move seen by political observers as a strategic way to support the BJP-led NDA without immediately joining the saffron party and bypassing legal complexities.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will hear both the defected TMC MPs and the faction led by Mamata Banerjee before deciding on recognising the breakaway group's proposed merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee has formally petitioned Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to disqualify 20 rebel MPs, arguing their claimed merger with the lesser-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) is invalid under the anti-defection law.
The Indian government and opposition are preparing for a contentious Monsoon Session of Parliament, with key issues including the Constitution Amendment Bill on delimitation and women's reservation, the alleged NEET paper leak, and a row over Ram temple donations set to spark heated debates.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is set to make crucial decisions regarding the status of rebel factions from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Shiv Sena (UBT) before the Monsoon session of Parliament begins on July 20, following demands for their disqualification by their parent parties.
Senior Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra on Tuesday gave party supremo Mamata Banerjee a one-month ultimatum to "leave Abhishek's hand" and reconnect with grassroot workers, while asking the Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee to admit his "mistakes".
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is set to make crucial decisions regarding the disqualification petitions against rebel MPs from the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) before the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament. Both parties have sought the disqualification of their defecting members under the anti-defection law, while the Speaker is consulting legal experts and examining precedents to ensure legally sound decisions.
The Congress party has accused Home Minister Amit Shah of launching an "onslaught" on the Opposition and "wrecking" Indian democracy. The party alleges that Shah is enticing elected representatives to join the BJP with significant incentives, a claim echoed by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut regarding Maharashtra MPs. This comes amidst reports of defections from other parties like the TMC.
'Those under pressure from the BJP and the police, or due to court cases, the ED, CBI, CID, local police officers, or the STF, I request that you make your decision before July 21.'
Actor-turned-politician and Trinamool Congress MP Rukmini Mallick, popularly known as Koel Mallick, on Thursday resigned from the Rajya Sabha, the fourth TMC MP to do so ever since the Mamata Banerjee-led party was ousted from power in West Bengal.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is grappling with a severe internal crisis, evident as rival factions occupied separate sections of the opposition benches during the West Bengal assembly's budget session. This public display of disunity follows the party's defeat in the 2026 assembly elections and ongoing legal challenges over leadership.
Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Arup Chakraborty on Monday said the breakaway faction is trying to "rectify" the party, and would fight for the control of its election symbol, even as the Mamata Banerjee-led outfit termed the move illegal under the anti-defection law.
A rebel faction of the Trinamool Congress, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, has taken control of the party's organisational headquarters in Kolkata. This move follows their claim to the party's name and symbol before the Election Commission, intensifying the power struggle with the Mamata Banerjee-led faction. Both sides are now preparing submissions for the Election Commission regarding the party's control.
Less than two months after ending the TMC's 15-year rule in the state, the BJP government is expected to table one of its most ambitious and politically sensitive promises, setting the stage for what could become the first major ideological confrontation of the post-election period.
Facing a massive rebellion of MLAs and MPs after its defeat in the West Bengal assembly polls, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has begun an organisational reset, with sources saying the focus is on top leaders increasing direct engagement with workers and reducing dependence on political-consultancy firm I-PAC.
In a bid to wrest control of the Trinamool Congress, its rebel faction led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee on Monday elected MLA Arup Roy as chairperson, marking the sharpest challenge yet to the authority of party founder Mamata Banerjee.
The internecine war within the Trinamool Congress took a new turn on Thursday with "party treasurer" Aroop Biswas writing to a bank seeking restrictions on the operation of the party's accounts, citing uncertainty over its legitimate leadership amid rebellions by MLAs and MPs.
As the Shiv Sena marks 60 years, political experts highlight the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction's existential crisis and the Eknath Shinde-led group's struggle for relevance in the face of a dominant BJP, a significant shift from the party's historical 'elder brother' status in Maharashtra.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing a severe leadership crisis as former minister Jyoti Priya Mallick resigned from all party organisational posts citing health, and senior North Bengal leader Goutam Deb stepped down as mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation, amidst widespread internal rifts and electoral setbacks.
Ideology is dead; long live the numbers game that is being played with the sole intention of securing a two-third majority in the Lok Sabha for the NDA, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
Its statement also said Facebook does not use WhatsApp payments information for commercial purposes.
Why is the government unwilling to disclose the winners of its DigiDhan Yojana?
