Kolkata: A fresh political controversy has erupted in West Bengal after rebel TMC MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia claimed that 17 of the 20 MPs currently aligned with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) are preparing to join the BJP.
The claim, however, has not been confirmed by the BJP and has been disputed by several of the MPs involved.
Basunia Makes Big BJP Switch Claim
Basunia, the Cooch Behar MP, said the 17 MPs had decided to join the BJP either before or after Durga Puja. He claimed that the group had already worked out a plan for the move.
According to Basunia, the three remaining MPs — Abu Taher Khan, Khaliloor Rahman and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan — would not formally join the BJP but could continue supporting the BJP-led NDA.
Basunia also argued that a group of 17 MPs moving together would keep them outside the scope of the anti-defection provisions.
Fellow MPs Dispute Claim
The claim has triggered an immediate pushback from other NCPI-aligned MPs. Abu Taher Khan said the three MPs had no plan to join the BJP or NDA, while Bapi Haldar said he was unaware of any such decision.
Satabdi Roy also said Basunia had spoken in his personal capacity and that no collective decision had been taken by the group. The West Bengal BJP has also distanced itself from the claim.
Why The Numbers Matter
Twenty of TMC's 27 Lok Sabha MPs had moved away from the party and joined the NCPI after TMC's defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections. They had also extended support to the BJP-led NDA.
Their political status remains under scrutiny. The Lok Sabha Secretariat has sought their responses to disqualification proceedings, while the Supreme Court is also examining the matter following a petition by TMC.
The latest BJP switch claim therefore adds another layer to an already intense political battle in West Bengal.