NCPI Gains Spotlight as 20 TMC MPs Seek Merger

New Delhi, Jun 15 (PTI) — The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a relatively obscure political entity that fielded candidates in the 2023 Tripura assembly elections, found itself in the national spotlight on Sunday. This came after a group of 20 Lok Sabha MPs from a rebel faction of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced their merger with the NCPI. This unexpected alliance has cast a new light on the small party that previously garnered little attention.

In the 2023 Tripura polls, the NCPI contested three seats: Chawamanu, Ambassa, and Kailashahar. Its candidates finished either behind the NOTA option or secured only a marginally higher number of votes. The nomination of Rita Shil Halam for the Karamchara seat was rejected during scrutiny, impacting the party's chances.

NCPI, which operates from West Bengal's Howrah, is led by Sheuli Kundu, a self-proclaimed advocate at the Calcutta High Court. The party ran a campaign urging voters to reject "political turncoats" and support social workers, promoting their symbol, a pen nib.

One of the highlighted candidates, Barjeda Tripura, who ran from Chawamanu and secured 536 votes, was surprised upon learning of the merger. He expressed disbelief over the news, stating his past as a Congress supporter, while also detailing that a person named Krishna Debbarma had initially approached him about the elections.

Barjeda, a daily wage laborer, aged 62 in 2023, received 536 votes, narrowly trailing behind BJP candidate Sambhu Lal Chakma who won the Chawamanu seat. His background reveals limited formal education and modest declared assets, portraying him as a social worker.

Other NCPI candidates contested from Karamchara, Ambassa, and Kailashahar, with seats won by TIPRA Motha and Congress. The political scene changed on Sunday as the TMC rebellion reached a peak, with their MPs seeking a merger and a new identity in the Lok Sabha.

Dissident MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar confirmed that two-thirds of TMC's MPs submitted a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, requesting recognition as a distinct group. She stated that they intend to align with the NCPI and support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

TMC leader and MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay acknowledged the merger, identifying the NCPI as a regional party. It's noteworthy that Registered Unrecognised Political Parties like NCPI are those recognized by the Election Commission but not yet meeting criteria for state or national party status.