Three NCPI MPs skip NDA meet, say no to BJP and alliance
Three Lok Sabha MPs from West Bengal's Murshidabad district — Abu Taher Khan, Khalilur Rahaman, and Yusuf Pathan — skipped a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting in Delhi on Tuesday, making it clear that they will not join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or the BJP-led alliance. The three MPs are members of the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a party formed by legislators who broke away from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) after the state's Assembly election.
This was the second time in recent days that the trio has missed an NDA meeting. The gathering in Parliament was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Speaking to journalists outside the Parliament complex, Mr. Khan, the Murshidabad MP, said: "We have said that we will not be part of NDA and will never join the BJP. We are the ones facing maximum problems relating to the development-related work of our constituencies. Under no circumstances will we join the NDA or BJP; be rest assured." Mr. Rahaman, the Jangipur MP, stood beside him as he made the statement.
Instead of attending the NDA meeting, the three MPs joined a "coordination meeting" with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. According to details available, Mr. Adhikari met 22 MPs, including 19 NCPI MPs and three recently nominated BJP Rajya Sabha MPs — Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev, and Prakash Chik Baraik. These three Rajya Sabha members had resigned from the TMC and were re-elected to the Upper House with the support of BJP legislators. Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey were also present at the coordination meeting, which was described as an effort to align development priorities in the state.
The NCPI's political trajectory has been closely watched since its formation. Following the TMC's defeat in the summer Assembly election, 20 of the 28 rebel Lok Sabha MPs merged with the NCPI on June 14, aligning themselves with the NDA. While the party has supported the NDA from the outside, there has been speculation that these MPs might formally join the BJP. However, Mr. Khan, Mr. Rahaman, and Mr. Pathan have consistently opposed such a move.
Earlier, TMC MP Sougata Roy from Dum Dum had noted that the three Murshidabad MPs were unlikely to switch sides. "Their ideologies or politics do not align naturally with the BJP or the NDA," Mr. Roy had said. The trio's stance underscores the internal diversity within the NCPI, as some of its members have already indicated a willingness to merge with the BJP.
Meanwhile, former West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee has reiterated her allegations that MPs and MLAs who left her party did so under coercion. In a livestream on social media, she claimed: "The MPs and MLAs are being threatened by the police, by the Enforcement Directorate, and the Central Bureau of Investigation. The officers-in-charge of police stations are going with vehicles and saying, either join the BJP or get arrested." These allegations have not been independently verified, and representatives of the central agencies have not publicly responded.
