West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari abruptly cancelled his scheduled meeting with 20 erstwhile Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha members — now aligned with the National Citizens' Party of India (NCPI) — that had been set for 1 pm on Tuesday, 27 July in New Delhi. The cancellation was communicated on Monday, hours after a late-night meeting between Adhikari and senior NCPI MP Sudip Bandopadhyay at the state secretariat Nabanna.

The Late-Night Meeting That Changed Plans

Bandopadhyay, a four-time Lok Sabha member and one of the most prominent figures among the 20 Trinamool-turned-NCPI MPs, met Chief Minister Adhikari at Nabanna late on Monday night in what was described as a hurriedly convened session. The meeting lasted approximately one hour, after which the Chief Minister's Delhi trip was called off.

Adhikari had been touring North Bengal on Monday. He returned to Kolkata in the evening, arriving at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport before proceeding directly to the state secretariat — where Bandopadhyay was already waiting.

NDA Speculation at the Centre of It All

The cancellation comes amid active speculation that the 20 NCPI MPs — who defected from the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) shortly after the West Bengal Assembly election results — had been invited to formally join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Development Alliance (NDA). The timing of the Bandopadhyay-Adhikari meeting, and the subsequent scrapping of the Delhi programme, has deepened that speculation without resolving it.

Notably, the 20 MPs crossed over to NCPI soon after the assembly poll outcome, a move that triggered immediate political controversy in the state. Their potential absorption into the NDA fold would mark a significant realignment in Bengal's fractured opposition landscape.

TMC Pushes for Disqualification

Adding another layer of pressure on Monday, Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging expeditious disposal of disqualification petitions filed against the 20 MPs. Banerjee's letter seeks the Speaker's intervention to fast-track proceedings under the anti-defection law — a move that could strip the MPs of their seats if upheld.

The dual developments — the late-night Nabanna meeting and TMC's formal push at the Speaker's office — suggest that both sides are racing to shape the political outcome before any formal NDA announcement is made.

What Happens Next

It remains unclear whether the Delhi meeting has been postponed or permanently shelved. Political observers in Kolkata say the next 48 to 72 hours will be critical in determining whether the NCPI bloc formally enters the NDA, or whether back-channel negotiations produce a different arrangement. The disqualification petitions before the Lok Sabha Speaker add a legal dimension that could complicate any political transition for the 20 MPs.