Bengal’s political landscape could witness another major realignment ahead of Durga Puja, with Nationalist Citizen Party of India (NCPI) MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia claiming that as many as 17 of the party’s 20 MPs may join the BJP. Basunia, who recently switched from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to the NCPI, said the proposed move could take place before the festival, potentially dealing another political blow to Mamata Banerjee’s party.
The claim, made during an interview with ABP News, has triggered fresh speculation about the future of the NCPI and the possibility of a sizeable bloc of MPs moving into the BJP-led NDA camp. Basunia indicated that the proposed transition would not involve all NCPI MPs, particularly those representing constituencies with a substantial minority population.
According to Basunia, MPs Abu Taher and Khalilur Rahman are expected to remain outside the BJP while extending support to the NDA. He argued that the demographic composition of their constituencies could make a direct entry into the BJP politically difficult. A formal association with the BJP, he suggested, could create challenges for the two MPs among their respective electorates.
Basunia also made a significant claim about the circumstances surrounding the formation of the NCPI bloc. He alleged that the BJP played a role in bringing the MPs together under the NCPI banner, even though many of them actually wanted to join the BJP.
“If everything goes well, 17 out of 20 of us may join the BJP before Durga Puja,” Basunia said, signalling that discussions over the political realignment may already be underway.
If such a move materialises, it could alter the political equations in Bengal and strengthen the BJP’s position ahead of the next phase of political activity in the state. The development would also underline the continuing fluidity of political loyalties in Bengal, where leaders and legislators have frequently shifted affiliations in response to changing electoral calculations.
Basunia’s return to his home constituency of Cooch Behar on Sunday was accompanied by heavy police security amid heightened political tension. His arrival reportedly became a flashpoint in Sitai, where opposition to his political shift surfaced on the streets.
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