TNI Bureau: In a dramatic development that could significantly alter the political landscape in West Bengal and the Northeast, 20 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs on Friday announced their decision to merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and extend support to the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The rebel lawmakers met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at his residence in New Delhi and submitted a letter seeking recognition as a separate group. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, senior MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said the group represented more than two-thirds of the party’s strength in the Lok Sabha, thereby qualifying for a merger under the provisions of the anti-defection law.

“We are merging with the Nationalist Citizens Party and will work for the nation in cooperation with the NDA under the leadership of the Prime Minister,” she said. The Rebel MPs had met Union Minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday. The rebels included Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Satabdi Roy, Yusuf Pathan, Saayoni Ghosh, Mala Roy

The NCPI, a relatively lesser-known political outfit (registered, but unrecognised) with its base in Tripura, is expected to gain a major boost from the induction of the rebel MPs. The party is said to be the brainchild of BJP.

The development marks one of the biggest internal rebellions in the history of the Trinamool Congress and is likely to intensify political turbulence in West Bengal. It also raises serious questions about the party’s internal cohesion and leadership as it prepares for crucial electoral battles ahead.