Speculation Grows Over NCPI MPs' Political Future in West Bengal

KOLKATA: Speculation surrounding the political future of two Nationalist Congress Party of India (NCPI) Members of Parliament (MPs) from West Bengal continues to escalate following a meeting with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at the state secretariat, Nabanna.

Abu Taher Khan, the MP representing Murshidabad, and Khalilur Rahman, the MP for Jangipur, met with Adhikari on a Saturday, just a day after attending a breakfast meeting hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. During their discussions, the MPs addressed various development issues pertinent to their constituencies, particularly concerning the problems stemming from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Murshidabad.

Their meeting has intensified discussions regarding their political alignments, especially after Khan, Rahman, and fellow NCPI MP Yusuf Pathan abstained from two recent National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meetings. This absence has sparked speculation that they might be contemplating a return to the Trinamool Congress, the party from which they previously defected.

The MPs reportedly expressed their discomfort with the Bharatiya Janata Party's stance on Muslim issues, which they cited as a reason for their absence at the NDA meetings. Khan stated, "We are representatives of the foremost minority community of India and Bengal. Minorities are being oppressed and deprived in various ways in the state. As the elected head of the country, he had to be informed. Which is what we did."

Meanwhile, the NDA convened a closed-door meeting on Friday at Prime Minister Modi's residence, attended by around 40 parliamentarians, where the Prime Minister urged MPs to uphold legislative discipline and regard Parliament as a temple of democracy.

Among the NCPI MPs, Dev Adhikari, the MP for Ghatal, was reported absent due to prior commitments, leaving the status of the remaining MPs in question. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has not yet made a decision concerning the political status of the 20 NCPI MPs after their departure from the Trinamool Congress.

During the breakfast meeting hosted by Modi, NCPI leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar reflected positively on the Prime Minister's commitment to the development of Bengal and the northeastern states, saying, "The Prime Minister has said those who have been with the NDA for the last 20 years or even one year are all family members. He said we will work hard for the development of Bengal and the eastern, northeastern states."

Additionally, Satabdi Roy, MP from Birbhum, noted Modi's engagement during the meeting and his interest in development ideas from the MPs. Bapi Halder, the MP for Mathurapur, expressed admiration for the Prime Minister's focus on social media and the importance of reaching younger demographics.

The growing uncertainty surrounding the NCPI MPs has broader implications for the political landscape in West Bengal as various stakeholders analyse the shifting allegiances within the state's intricate political environment.