Suvendu Adhikari likely to meet NCPI MPs in Delhi today amid speculation over future political strategy

PTI, July 28, 2026, New Delhi: Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is likely to meet the 20 dissident TMC MPs, who joined the little-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), in New Delhi on Tuesday for the second time in two months, fuelling speculation over the parliamentary bloc's future, including its possible merger with the BJP.

Birbhum MP Shatabdi Roy said the meeting would take place at 1 pm at Banga Bhavan, the state guest house of the West Bengal government.

"Several of our MPs have questions and require clarifications about certain urgent matters which they are likely to put before the CM. They may also have issues and observations to make before him," Roy said.

The speculation over a possible merger with the BJP has gathered pace in recent days, with reports suggesting that the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) leadership is weighing its future organisational strategy.

However, neither the NCPI nor the BJP has officially confirmed that a merger is on the agenda for Tuesday's meeting.

The meeting comes at a time when Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is yet to formally recognise the defection of these dissident 20 MPs, although their seating arrangement in the House has been changed.

The faction of TMC parliamentarians owing loyalty to Mamata Banerjee has sought the disqualification of the rebel MPs under the anti-defection law.

To press this demand, Mamata loyalists Abhishek Banerjee, Kalyan Banerjee and Mahua Moitra met the Speaker on Monday, and Abhishek later followed it up with a written communication urging Birla for an expeditious disposal of the pending petitions against the defectors.

An MP and member of the rebel bloc, Sharmila Sarkar, declined to comment on the merger speculation, saying she had no information beyond the fact that a meeting with the Chief Minister had been convened.

She reiterated that any decision would emerge only after discussions with the leadership.

Political observers said that any decision on a formal merger with the BJP would have significant implications for West Bengal politics ahead of future electoral contests.