West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is scheduled to hold a meeting on Tuesday in Delhi with 20 MPs of the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), including Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who were elected on Trinamool Congress (TMC) tickets before joining the newly formed party.
The meeting comes at a time when Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is yet to formally recognise the MPs' switch to NCP(I), despite their seating arrangements in Parliament having already been changed. The Trinamool Congress has sought the disqualification of the 20 MPs under the anti-defection law, and a delegation led by Abhishek Banerjee, Kalyan Banerjee and Mahua Moitra had earlier met the Speaker to press for action. No decision has been announced so far.
According to reports, the meeting will take place at 1 pm at Banga Bhavan in New Delhi. Birbhum MP Shatabdi Roy confirmed the meeting after NCP(I) MPs received official communication on Monday afternoon.
This will be the first formal interaction between Adhikari and the rebel MPs since they joined NCP(I) and the party became an ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Adhikari had earlier attended a strategy meeting at Union Minister Bhupender Yadav's residence during the split in the TMC parliamentary party.
While the official agenda has not been disclosed, several MPs indicated that discussions are expected to centre on coordination with the West Bengal government for the utilisation of MPs' Local Area Development (MPLADS) funds and planning development projects. The meeting may also review issues that the NCP(I) MPs intend to raise during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament.
The meeting assumes significance as the rebel MPs continue to await formal recognition of their new political affiliation while legal and parliamentary questions over their defection remain pending.
