Rebel TMC MP's claim of 17 NCPI MPs joining BJP sparks furore

Kolkata: Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia's statement on Monday that 17 of the 20 Lok Sabha MPs, members of the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) now, are preparing to join the BJP in October, created a major controversy in West Bengal.

The BJP, however, distanced itself from the claim. Reacting sharply, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said that while the NCPI MPs may be eager to join BJP, it is the party's decision whether they will be inducted at all. "We have not forgotten what happened to our workers in 2021. In 27 days, 56 BJP workers were killed..." Bhattacharya said.



Basunia, who represents the Cooch Behar constituency in the Lok Sabha, added, "We held a meeting with Amit Shah, Bhupendra Yadav and Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari. Three minority MPs refused to join the BJP. The Delhi BJP leaders are looking at the process, so we can join the party in October."

He further pointed out that three minority MPs from the Trinamool - Abu Taher Khan, Yusuf Pathan and Khalilur Rahman - had refused to directly join the BJP.

Khan, while refuting Basunia's claim, said the latter is not his spokesperson. "We will not go to the BJP. We will not go to the NDA. Our stand is clear," Khan said.

Face-off between TMC factions in Nandigram, Rejinagar bypolls

Following the announcement of by-elections in Nandigram and Rejinagar, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool and the Ritabrata-led Trinamool Congress are caught in a bitter battle over candidates and the symbol with both the parties awaiting the Election Commission of India's (ECI) decision on the matter.

There was a tussle over candidatures as well. Initially, the Ritabrata-led Trinamool claimed that if Mamata Banerjee fights from Nandigram, they will not field any candidate there. However, the Mamata Banerjee-led AITC, announced Sanchita Pradhan (Dey) from Nandigram and Rabiul Alam Chowdhury from Rejinagar.

"We had said that if Mamata Banerjee fought from Nandigram, we will not put up a candidate. However, she is not contesting," Akhruzzaman, the Ritabrata-led Trinamool's chief whip, said.