2 hrs ago
17 Trinamool-turned-NCPI MPs Plan BJP Switch Next Month
A group of 20 MPs from West Bengal left the Trinamool Congress and joined the NCPI.
Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia says 17 of them plan to join the BJP.
Three MPs from Murshidabad do not want to join the BJP directly.
They are Abu Taher Khan, Yusuf Pathan and Khalilur Rahman.
Basunia says those three will still support the NDA.
He says the 17 MPs may join the BJP around Durga Puja.
He believes the group is large enough to avoid the anti-defection law.
However, the Lok Sabha has not officially recognized them as NCPI MPs, and its records still identify them as Trinamool Congress members.
Cooch Behar MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia claims 17 of 20 Trinamool Congress-turned-NCPI MPs will join the BJP.
Basunia said Abu Taher Khan, Yusuf Pathan and Khalilur Rahman will not join the BJP directly but will remain aligned with the NDA.
He said the 17 MPs would join before or shortly after Durga Puja, possibly next month.
Basunia said 14 MPs would be enough to meet the two-thirds threshold and avoid the anti-defection law, while the group has 20.
The Lok Sabha Speaker has not recognized the group as NCPI MPs; official records still list them as Trinamool Congress members.
- Who
- Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia and 19 other Trinamool Congress-turned-NCPI Lok Sabha members from West Bengal.
- What
- Basunia claimed that 17 of the 20 MPs will join the BJP, while three will remain aligned with the NDA without joining the BJP directly.
- Where
- The MPs represent constituencies in West Bengal, including Cooch Behar and three constituencies in Murshidabad district.
- When
- The proposed BJP switch is expected next month, before or shortly after Durga Puja; the article does not give a specific date.
- Why
- Basunia cited political and constituency-related considerations for the three Murshidabad MPs, and said the 17-member group would meet the two-thirds threshold relevant to the anti-defection law.
Proposed Political Realignment
Current Official Position
Status of the 20 MPs
Proposed Political Realignment
Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia says 17 MPs will join the BJP and that the group has enough members to avoid the anti-defection law.
Current Official Position
Lok Sabha records still identify the MPs as Trinamool Congress members, and the Speaker has not recognized them as NCPI MPs.
Position of three Murshidabad MPs
Proposed Political Realignment
Basunia says Abu Taher Khan, Yusuf Pathan and Khalilur Rahman will not join the BJP directly because of political difficulties in their minority-dominated constituencies, but will remain with the NDA.
Current Official Position
The article provides no separate statements from the three MPs confirming or disputing Basunia's account.
Key facts
- Claimed BJP switch
- 17 of 20 MPs are expected to join the BJP, according to Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia.
- MPs remaining outside BJP
- Abu Taher Khan, Yusuf Pathan and Khalilur Rahman reportedly do not want to join the BJP directly.
- Alliance position
- The three MPs are expected to remain part of the National Democratic Alliance.
- Anti-defection threshold
- Basunia said 14 MPs would constitute two-thirds of the group, while 20 MPs are involved.
- Speaker recognition
- The Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla, has not recognized the group as NCPI MPs.
- Current official listing
- Lok Sabha records still list the 20 members as Trinamool Congress MPs.
- Relevant constituencies
- The three MPs who reportedly will not join the BJP directly represent Murshidabad, Baharampur and Jangipur.
Quotes
West Bengal BJP leader Bhattacharya
A West Bengal BJP leader commenting on the alleged defections.
“However, despite not joining the BJP directly, the three MPs from Murshidabad district will continue to be part of the National Democratic Alliance. The remaining 17 of us will be joining the BJP directly next month before the forthcoming Durga Puja.”
thehansindia.com
“They are elected representatives from minority-dominated constituencies. So naturally, there are some problems for them in directly joining the BJP. But they will continue to be with the NDA.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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