Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is expected to assign new division numbers, or seating arrangements, to 20 Lok Sabha MPs who left the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to join the newly formed Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), signalling that formal recognition of the breakaway group could be imminent.

The development comes just ahead of Parliament's monsoon session, with two NCPI representatives also expected to participate in the all-party meeting scheduled before the session begins. 

NCPI Leaders Say New Seats, Office In Parliament Assured

Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, the Barasat MP who is expected to become the NCPI's chief whip in the Lok Sabha, said the party leadership recently met Speaker Om Birla to discuss logistical arrangements following the split.

According to party leaders, a formal communication from the Speaker's office regarding the new seating plan is expected shortly, with several rebel MPs remaining in New Delhi to complete the required formalities, as per reports.

TMC Faces Major Setback After Bengal Election Loss

The split follows the TMC's disappointing performance in the West Bengal Assembly elections led by Mamata Banerjee. In the aftermath, 60 MLAs elected on the TMC ticket formed a separate group in the state Assembly.

The political realignment has also reshaped the party's parliamentary strength. Out of the TMC's 28 Lok Sabha MPs, 20 have aligned with the NCPI, which has extended its support to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

In the Rajya Sabha, three of the TMC's 13 members have resigned and are expected to return to the Upper House later this month as BJP nominees through by-elections in West Bengal.

Recognition Could Make NCPI BJP's Biggest Ally In Lok Sabha

Sources indicate that Speaker Om Birla is likely to decide on the pending merger petitions before the monsoon session begins on July 20. Alongside the TMC-NCPI case, he is also expected to rule on the application involving six Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MPs who switched allegiance to the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde.

If the NCPI receives official recognition, it would emerge as the BJP's largest ally in the Lok Sabha, overtaking the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which currently has 16 MPs.

The rebel TMC camp believes it satisfies the anti-defection law's requirement, as more than two-thirds of the party's original 28 Lok Sabha MPs have joined the new formation, a threshold that can protect legislators from disqualification in cases of merger.

TMC rebel leader Kalyan Bandyopadhyay and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar met Speaker Om Birla earlier this week as part of the ongoing consultations before a final decision. When asked whether the NCPI would be represented at the government's all-party meeting, Bandyopadhyay confirmed that it would, reinforcing the group's confidence that formal recognition is only a matter of time.

Party sources also indicated that Bandyopadhyay is expected to become the NCPI parliamentary party leader, while Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar is likely to serve as chief whip and Satabdi Roy as deputy leader once the merger receives official approval.