Bengal CM Adhikari to meet 20 rebel NCPI MPs in New Delhi Tuesday
Synopsis
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari's Tuesday meeting with 20 rebel ex-TMC MPs at Banga Bhavan is more than a courtesy call — it is the NDA consolidating its grip on Bengal's parliamentary bloc even as Trinamool presses the Lok Sabha Speaker to disqualify the same MPs. The Speaker's silence is the pivot around which this entire political standoff turns.
Key Takeaways
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari is scheduled to meet 20 rebel NCPI Lok Sabha MPs at Banga Bhavan, New Delhi on Tuesday, 29 July .
The 20 MPs are former Trinamool Congress members who joined the National Citizens' Party of India (NCPI) after the West Bengal Assembly election results.
Abhishek Banerjee wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday seeking expeditious disposal of TMC's disqualification petitions against the rebel MPs.
The Lok Sabha Speaker has not yet recognised the party transfer or ruled on the disqualification petitions, though separate seats have been allotted to the MPs.
Discussions are expected to cover MPLAD fund utilisation and West Bengal-specific issues to be raised during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
The 20 NCPI MPs claim to be allies of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) .
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is set to travel to New Delhi on Tuesday, 29 July to meet the 20 former Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha members who defected to the National Citizens' Party of India (NCPI) shortly after the West Bengal Assembly election results were declared. The meeting is scheduled at Banga Bhavan in New Delhi and marks the first known direct engagement between the state government and the rebel MPs since their party switch.
Background to the Split
The 20 MPs had been Lok Sabha members under the Trinamool Congress banner before crossing over to the NCPI following the state assembly poll outcome. While the Lok Sabha Speaker has not yet formally recognised their party transfer, separate seats have reportedly been allotted to them within the House — an arrangement that has drawn sharp objections from the TMC leadership.
Trinamool's Disqualification Push
The meeting comes just a day after Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress General Secretary and nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urging the expeditious disposal of disqualification petitions filed against the rebel MPs. Abhishek Banerjee, along with fellow TMC MPs Mahua Moitra and Kalyan Banerjee, had earlier met the Speaker in person to press the disqualification demand. The Speaker's office has not yet issued any ruling on the matter.
What May Be Discussed
The agenda for Tuesday's meeting has not been formally disclosed. However, sources familiar with the development indicated that the discussion may cover the utilisation of Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) funds and improved coordination between the MPs and the West Bengal state government. According to a state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, there could also be deliberation on which Bengal-specific issues the 20 NCPI MPs — who claim to be allies of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — will raise on the floor of Parliament during the ongoing Monsoon Session.
Political Significance
The NCPI MPs' alignment with the NDA gives the ruling coalition a potential extended footprint in West Bengal's parliamentary representation, even as the disqualification petitions remain pending. The Lok Sabha Speaker's eventual decision on the petitions could significantly alter the political arithmetic in the state's parliamentary bloc. This comes amid an already fractious post-election landscape in West Bengal, with the TMC working to consolidate its position and the BJP-led NDA seeking to leverage the rebel MPs as a bridgehead in the state.
All eyes will now be on whether Tuesday's meeting produces any concrete political or legislative coordination framework between CM Adhikari and the NCPI MPs ahead of key Parliament proceedings.
Point of View
CM Adhikari's visit to Banga Bhavan is a signal that these 20 MPs are being absorbed into a functional alliance framework, not left in a parliamentary limbo. The TMC's dual strategy — legal petitions plus personal lobbying by Abhishek Banerjee and senior MPs — suggests the party is more anxious about this defection than its public posture admits. The real question is whether the Speaker will act before the Monsoon Session concludes, because once the session ends without a ruling, the political cost of disqualification shrinks for everyone except the TMC.
NationPress
27 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari meeting the 20 NCPI MPs in New Delhi?
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is meeting the 20 former Trinamool Congress MPs, who now belong to the NCPI and claim NDA affiliation, to discuss coordination on MPLAD fund utilisation and West Bengal-related issues to be raised during Parliament's Monsoon Session. The meeting is scheduled at Banga Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday, 29 July.
Who are the 20 rebel NCPI MPs and why did they leave Trinamool Congress?
The 20 MPs were Lok Sabha members elected on Trinamool Congress tickets who switched to the National Citizens' Party of India (NCPI) shortly after the West Bengal Assembly election results were announced. Their defection has triggered disqualification petitions by the TMC before the Lok Sabha Speaker.
What action has Trinamool Congress taken against the rebel MPs?
Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday seeking the expeditious disposal of disqualification petitions against the 20 MPs. Banerjee, along with MPs Mahua Moitra and Kalyan Banerjee, had earlier met the Speaker in person to press the same demand.
Has the Lok Sabha Speaker ruled on the disqualification of the 20 MPs?
No. As of Tuesday, the Lok Sabha Speaker's office had not taken any decision on the disqualification petitions or formally recognised the MPs' party transfer to the NCPI. Separate seats have, however, reportedly been allotted to them in the House.
What is the NCPI's relationship with the NDA?
The 20 NCPI Lok Sabha members claim to be allies of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). CM Adhikari's meeting with them is seen as reinforcing this alignment, though no formal coalition arrangement has been publicly confirmed.
