Now Reading: 17 NCPI MPs to join BJP before Durga Puja, claims rebel MP
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17 NCPI MPs to join BJP before Durga Puja, claims rebel MP
Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia on Monday claimed that 17 of the 20 Lok Sabha MPs aligned with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) will join the BJP…
Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia on Monday claimed that 17 of the 20 Lok Sabha MPs aligned with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) will join the BJP before or after Durga Puja in October. Basunia said the move, involving more than two-thirds of the group, would shield them from the anti-defection law.
Fellow rebel MPs immediately disputed the claim. Satabdi Roy said Basunia spoke in his personal capacity, while Abu Taher Khan, one of three MPs Basunia said would support the NDA from outside, stated: 'We will not go to the BJP. We will not go to the NDA.' The West Bengal BJP also distanced itself. State president Samik Bhattacharya said the party would not induct anyone merely because they wanted to join, and asked if Basunia was referring to 'the BJP on Mars'.
The 20 MPs left the TMC in June after the party's defeat in the West Bengal assembly elections, merging with the little-known NCPI. The TMC has petitioned the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Supreme Court for their disqualification. The MPs have until September 22 to reply to disqualification notices.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Basunia's claim is reported as a straight statement by several outlets, but the dominant framing across sources is the denial from fellow rebels and the BJP. The Hindu and Mathrubhumi lead with the dispute, giving equal weight to Basunia's assertion and the rejections. ABP Live and Times of India foreground Basunia's version, while NDTV and Hindustan Times lead with the BJP denial. The near-universal focus on the rebuttals suggests the claim has little backing within the group. The key date to watch is September 22, when the MPs' replies to disqualification notices are due.
Coverage: 8 sources, 6 neutral, 2 sensationalist
Sources (8): timesofindia.indiatimes.com (sensationalist), hindustantimes.com (neutral report), news.abplive.com (sensationalist), english.mathrubhumi.com (neutral report), ndtv.com (neutral report), thehindu.com (neutral report), indiatvnews.com (neutral report), deccanherald.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 8 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.
Updated: this story now draws on 8 sources.
