A group of MPs who revolted against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s leadership is set to be allotted separate seats in the Lok Sabha, along with a new office within the Parliament complex, according to information emerging from the Speaker’s office.
The development follows a sudden political realignment in which the dissident MPs aligned themselves with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a Kolkata-based party that had previously remained largely unknown in national politics. The group also announced that the party would be part of the NDA alliance.
The split comes in the wake of the Trinamool Congress suffering a heavy defeat in the West Bengal Assembly election, after which 60 MLAs formed a separate bloc in the state Assembly. In Parliament, 20 of the TMC’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs reportedly took the decision to join NCPI.
Against this backdrop, the new formation approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking recognition within Parliament. NCPI whip Kakoli Ghosh MP said the Speaker assured them that an office would be provided and new seat numbers would be allotted.
She added that two representatives from the party would attend the all-party meeting scheduled for July 19. The rapid rise of NCPI as a significant force inside Parliament has triggered fresh buzz in national political circles.
