The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) was a little-known organisation until recently, when a group of 20 Lok Sabha MPs from the Trinamool Congress joined it in a dramatic development amid the ongoing political turmoil in West Bengal.
Originally founded in Tripura, the party is now registered at an address in Howrah, West Bengal, with Sheuli Kundu—who identifies herself as an advocate practising at the Calcutta High Court—listed as its president.
The NCPI had fielded four candidates in the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections, but one nomination was rejected after scrutiny. In the remaining three constituencies—Chawamanu, Ambassa, and Kailashahar—the party either trailed behind NOTA or secured only a marginal number of votes.
However, the once-marginal outfit is no longer an irrelevant player; it now finds itself at the centre of a political churn that is reshaping national arithmetic and alliance equations.
However, what stands out in the present context is the party’s own campaign messaging during the 2023 elections. It had strongly urged voters: “To save your rights, reject political turncoats. Support social workers, not political personalities.”
According to a PTI report, the decision of the TMC rebels to merge their faction with the NCPI has taken several party leaders by surprise.
“I contested in 2023. What has happened three years later now?” asked Barjeda Tripura, who had contested from Chawamanu and secured 536 votes, after being informed of the latest developments by the news agency.
The NCPI is a Registered Unrecognised Political Party, meaning it is registered with the Election Commission but has not yet met the criteria to be recognised as a state or national party.
For the TMC rebels, joining the relatively obscure party offers a legally convenient route to break away from their former organisation, while also enabling broader political realignments without immediate procedural complications.
“We wanted to move collectively and create a political space outside (TMC chief) Mamata Banerjee’s control without triggering unnecessary procedural hurdles. The NCPI route offered a workable parliamentary solution,” a senior rebel leader told PTI.
