Opposition parties staged a brief but pointed walkout from the all-party meeting convened by the government on Sunday ahead of the Parliament's Monsoon Session, protesting the invitation extended to members of the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a little-known outfit formed by rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs. The meeting, called by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to discuss the upcoming session beginning Monday, was disrupted shortly after it began. Opposition leaders returned after a few minutes, describing the action as symbolic.
The core issue was the government's decision to invite representatives from the NCPI, which comprises around 20 rebel TMC MPs who have announced a merger with the Tripura-based party. Opposition members argued that the merger has not been formally recognised by the Lok Sabha Speaker, and disqualification petitions against the rebels remain pending. Parliamentary records still list the TMC's strength at 28 members, they pointed out.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra, addressing reporters after the walkout, sharply criticised the move. “Today, the entire opposition including Congress, the Samajwadi Party, DMK, JMM, Aam Aadmi Party, National Conference, Left parties, Shiv Sena UBT have all walked out of the all party meeting in protest because the so-called NCPI, which is an unrecognized party, the strength of the All India Trinamool Congress in the list provided by the table office is shown to be 28 members. These so-called rebel 20 MPs, their merger has not been approved by the Speaker,” she said.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh echoed the sentiment, calling the NCPI a “parking place” for the rebel MPs. “All Opposition parties staged a walkout from the all-party meeting for a few minutes. This was a mark of protest against the decision of the Modi government to invite the NCPI that is a parking place for 20 so-called ‘rebel’ TMC MPs when a final decision is still pending with the Speaker,” Ramesh stated. Despite the protest, discussions reportedly resumed on other issues, including concerns like exam paper leaks.
The NCPI, a relatively obscure regional party registered in West Bengal with roots in Tripura, shot into national prominence in mid-June 2026 following the Trinamool Congress's poor performance in the West Bengal Assembly elections. Internal discontent boiled over as more than two-thirds of TMC's Lok Sabha MPs rebelled against the party leadership, leading around 20 of them to announce a merger with the NCPI to sidestep potential anti-defection law complications while aligning with the NDA. This move transformed the previously low-profile outfit - which had contested only a handful of seats in the 2023 Tripura polls - into a significant parliamentary player. Adding to the drama, the rebel MPs held a key meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari in Delhi last month, ahead of their formal approach to the Lok Sabha Speaker for recognition and separate seating arrangements.
