‘We have voters to answer to’: Why three rebel TMC MPs won’t join NDA meetings

Khan, Rahaman and Pathan were part of a larger rebel group of 20 Lok Sabha MPs who broke away from Mamata Banerjee’s TMC following the party’s defeat in the Bengal Assembly elections. They later merged with the little-known outfit NCPI.

Khan is a veteran politician who started his political career with the Congress and joined the TMC in 2019. From 2001 to 2019, he was the Nowda MLA and first became a Lok Sabha MP in 2019 from the Murshidabad seat, which he retained in 2024.

Rahaman is also a two-time Lok Sabha MP, from the Jangipur seat, apart from being a prominent industrialist in the district.

Pathan is a former cricketer who joined the TMC ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and defeated veteran Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in Baharampur.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Khan said, “We will not join or support the NDA or BJP. But we will be a part of the NCPI. We have voters to answer to. We will not vote on any Bill that goes against Muslims. However, on the question of development, we held a meeting with the Bengal CM.”

Speaking to the media outside Parliament, Pathan said, “We were part of the meeting with the CM. I highlighted the plight of people whose names have been deleted from voter lists in Bengal. There are over 27 lakh. I also urged the CM to see whether tribunals can be set up to speed up the process. He said he will do whatever he can.”

Sources close to the three MPs said all three are concerned about “voter backlash” in their Bengal constituencies if they come out in support of the NDA or BJP in Parliament, while also fearing “pressure” from the BJP-led Bengal government if they leave the rebel TMC group.

Sources also said these MPs were keen to recontest their respective seats under the NCPI banner in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, for which they would need to maintain support among the Muslim voters there.

“After leaving TMC and joining the rebel group, there was public backlash in their respective constituencies. Now, if they support NDA, which is led by the BJP, or are seen attending meetings with Narendra Modi, they will lose their public support base completely in the district,” claimed a senior Congress leader from Murshidabad, adding that they were also keen to prevent any possible action against them by the ruling BJP government in Bengal.

Sources said they will remain in the NCPI but act “tactfully” in Parliament, and even vote for the crucial delimitation Bill if it is introduced in the Lok Sabha.

However, TMC MP Saugata Roy told The Indian Express that these three MPs “failed to take the final step”, adding that they made the decision after “consulting with (Kalighat) TMC” led by Mamata Banerjee.

Reacting to their decision not to support the NDA, Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said, “Why those NCPI MPs are not supporting NDA, only their party leadership can say. However, the people will not accept such double standards.”

Meanwhile, CPI(M) Central Committee member Sujan Chakraborty said, “This is basically nothing but a fascist tool to make a shadow Opposition. Suvendu Adhikari gave assurances to them to increase their seats. They will accommodate all NCPI MPs also. Now, these three MPs, after getting assurances, are playing a double-standard game so they will remain with the BJP and get support at the ground level, but Bengal’s people are not fools.”

Congress spokesperson Soumya Aich Roy alleged, “The TMC always was a mass organisation of the RSS. Taking such a stance, these three MPs supported the BJP indirectly and fooled the minority community. They are thinking they will continue that strategy by giving support to the NDA government.”