20 Rebel TMC MPs Join NDA Meeting for First Time After Switching to NCPI

For the first time, a group of 20 Lok Sabha MPs who recently left the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to join the newly formed Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) attended a meeting of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Parliamentary Party on Tuesday. The meeting was held at the Parliament House complex and was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Union ministers.

The MPs, who are now sitting separately in the Lok Sabha from their former party colleagues, have expressed their support for the BJP-led NDA. However, the NCPI has not yet been formally recognised by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla, who is yet to decide on the matter.

Speaking after the meeting, NCPI MP Sayoni Ghosh said, "I participated in the NDA meeting. It was an enriching and informative meeting in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Today, we had a discussion on Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). It was a positive discussion." She also called for support for the anti-paper leak bill, which is scheduled for discussion in the Lok Sabha later on Tuesday.

Another NCPI MP, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, noted that this was the first invitation for the group to the NDA's regular meeting, which she described as a "Mangal Milan". She said, "We came to know about the progress of the country, about FTAs, farmers. With the data we got, we will be able to make people understand these issues as well."

Actor-turned-politician Satabdi Roy, also an NCPI MP, praised the meeting's organisation, saying, "We didn't see such things in the past. It was organised. They informed us about which bills are coming. The Prime Minister didn't speak."

The meeting comes amid student protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET exam and other tests, which led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. In response, the government has promised stricter measures against paper leaks, introducing the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill 2026 in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Senior ministers including Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, J.P. Nadda, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, and Kiren Rijiju were present, along with MPs from other NDA constituent parties. Union Minister Shantanu Thakur said the meeting focused on trade and fisheries, with extensive discussions on progress in those sectors. Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske added that ministers gave presentations on the country's growth in trade and fisheries.