New home of TMC rebels, Nationalist Citizens Party once called to 'reject turncoats'
A little-known political outfit that struggled to make an impact in the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections has suddenly found itself at the centre of national
A little-known political outfit that struggled to make an impact in the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections has suddenly found itself at the centre of national politics after 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs announced their merger with it and sought recognition as a separate group in Parliament. The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), registered in 2023 ahead of the Tripura Assembly elections, was virtually unknown outside a handful of constituencies in Tripura and parts of West Bengal until Sunday's dramatic political developments thrust it into the spotlight. Read Full Story The move came amid an escalating rebellion within the Trinamool Congress, with dissident MPs meeting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and seeking separate seating arrangements in the House. "We have merged with the NCPI. We will decide our strategy over time," rebel TMC MP Satabdi Roy told reporters after meeting the Speaker. Asked about the party symbol, Roy said, "We did not claim it. The Speaker will decide what to do." FROM TRIPURA FRINGE OUTFIT TO NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT The NCPI was formed in 2023 and has had a presence primarily in Tripura and West Bengal. However, its electoral footprint has been extremely limited.
According to party functionaries, Shantanu Saha oversees the party's activities in Tripura, while Tarun Kumar Roy is associated with its operations from Kolkata. So far, the party has contested only the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections. Election records show that the NCPI fielded candidates in four constituencies - Chawamanu, Ambassa, Karamchara and Kailashahar. Its campaign slogan was strikingly anti-defection in tone: "To save your rights, reject political turncoats. Support social workers, not political personalities." The party contested on the pen nib symbol, allotted to it as a registered unrecognised political party. HOW DID NCPI FARE IN THE POLLS? The results offered little indication that the party would one day become the vehicle for a major parliamentary realignment. In Chawamanu, NCPI candidate Barjeda Tripura secured 536 votes and finished fifth, only marginally ahead of the NOTA tally of 500 votes. The constituency was won by BJP candidate Sambhu Lal Chakma, who defeated TIPRA Motha's Hangsa Kumar Tripura by 2,899 votes. The party's other candidates also failed to make a mark. While TIPRA Motha won Karamchara and Ambassa, the Congress emerged victorious in Kailashahar. Another NCPI candidate, Jahangir Ali, contested from Kailashahar in Unakoti district during the election.
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