Rebel MPs Claim Mass Defection to BJP Amid Disqualification Fight

Member of Parliament Jagdish Chandra Barma Basunia claimed on September 14, 2026, that 17 of the 20 MPs who defected from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) will join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before the Durga Puja festival. Basunia asserted that switching as a group of 17 would exceed the two-thirds threshold required to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law. He further claimed that three minority MPs, including Abu Taher Khan, would support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from outside the party.

These claims were immediately disputed by the BJP's West Bengal unit and fellow NCPI members. West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya rejected the reports, stating the party would not admit members simply because they wished to join. MP Abu Taher Khan and Satabdi Roy also denied the claims, asserting that Basunia was speaking in his personal capacity.

The 20 MPs originally left the TMC following its defeat in the May West Bengal Assembly elections. While they merged with the NCPI in June, Lok Sabha records still list them as TMC members. In response, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee petitioned the Supreme Court and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for their disqualification. The Lok Sabha Secretariat has issued notices to the MPs, who have until September 22 to provide a response.