West Bengal's political landscape erupted into fresh controversy Monday as rebel Trinamool Congress MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia made a stunning claim: 17 of the 20 Lok Sabha members aligned with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) would soon join the BJP. The announcement, made just weeks before Durga Puja, was met with swift and firm denials—not just from his fellow dissidents, but from the BJP itself.

Key facts

  • Rebel TMC MP Jagadish Basunia claims 17 of 20 NCPI MPs plan to join BJP
  • BJP West Bengal chief Samik Bhattacharya denies any such move
  • Fellow rebels Satabdi Roy and Abu Taher Khan reject Basunia's statement
  • Anti-defection law requires two-thirds of group (14 MPs) to avoid disqualification

A Claim Without Consensus

Basunia, the MP from Cooch Behar, stood before reporters with confidence. "We are 17 MPs who are going to the BJP together," he declared. "Since more than two-thirds of the 20 members will be switching, the anti-defection law will not apply to us." His calculation was legally sound—with 20 MPs in the group, at least 14 would need to move together to constitute a valid merger.

But within hours, his narrative unraveled. Fellow rebel MP Satabdi Roy stated that Basunia spoke only for himself—no collective decision had been made. Another dissident, Abu Taher Khan, was even more blunt: "We will not go to the BJP. We will not go to the NDA. This is clear."

BJP's Unexpected Distance

Perhaps most revealing was the BJP's reaction. Instead of embracing the potential influx of MPs, the party distanced itself entirely. West Bengal unit chief Samik Bhattacharya questioned whether Basunia was referring to "the BJP on Mars," adding that the party "would not take in anyone merely because they want to join it."

"As far as I know, no one from the TMC or NCPI is joining the BJP. People of the State have not forgotten the kind of atrocities these leaders and MPs have done during the TMC regime," Bhattacharya stated.

The rebuke was striking—a party that typically welcomes defectors now publicly skeptical of these particular arrivals.

Legal Limbo and Rising Tensions

The situation remains fraught with legal uncertainty. Lok Sabha records still list the 20 MPs as TMC members, and Speaker Om Birla has granted them until September 22 to respond to disqualification petitions. The Supreme Court has also issued notices regarding their status.

Meanwhile, on the ground, tensions flare. When Basunia and his wife, TMC MLA Sangeeta Roy, returned to his ancestral home in Cooch Behar, they faced protests. A local TMC office was allegedly set on fire—a stark reminder that these political maneuvers have real-world consequences.

What began as a bold claim of impending realignment now looks more like one man's ambition against a backdrop of denial, legal challenges, and simmering public anger.