Political confusion grips Tripura after a breakaway Trinamool Congress (TMC) faction announced its merger with the little-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). Claims describing NCPI as a Tripura-based party have been challenged by former candidates, raising questions over the party’s existence, organisational presence, and political relevance.
Tripura’s political landscape has been thrown into confusion following the announcement by a breakaway faction of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) that it had merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a political outfit that many in the state claim they have never heard of. The declaration has sparked widespread debate, controversy, and questions regarding the actual existence and organisational presence of the NCPI in Tripura.
The controversy began when members of the rebel TMC faction publicly announced that they had joined the NCPI, describing it as a Tripura-based political party. However, the claim immediately raised eyebrows among political observers, party leaders, and even individuals reportedly associated with the NCPI in the state.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that very few people in Tripura appear to have any knowledge of the party’s activities or organisational structure. Subsequent reports suggested that the NCPI is headed by Shiuli Kundu and operates from Howrah in West Bengal. This revelation directly contradicted claims portraying the organisation as a political force rooted in Tripura.
The situation became even more complicated when two individuals who had reportedly contested the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections as NCPI-linked candidates denied the existence of any active party structure in the state. Their statements have intensified doubts about the basis on which the NCPI is being described as a Tripura-based organisation.
According to records available with the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Nationalist Citizens Party of India is registered as an unrecognised political party. During the 2023 Assembly elections in Tripura, two candidates associated with the party contested from separate constituencies. Jahangir Ali contested from Kailashahar, while Brajendra Tripura fought from Chawmanu.
However, both candidates suffered overwhelming defeats at the polls, securing less than 0.03 percent of the total votes cast in their respective constituencies. The poor electoral performance reflected the party’s negligible political footprint in the state.
Following the merger announcement, Jahangir Ali publicly rejected the portrayal of the NCPI as a Tripura-based political party. Speaking to reporters, he clarified that the party’s national leadership was based in West Bengal and was headed by Shiuli Kundu.
Ali further stated that the NCPI currently does not have a functional state committee in Tripura. His remarks have generated fresh questions about how the organisation could be projected as a significant political entity within the state when even its former electoral representative acknowledged the absence of a functioning state structure.
When asked about the merger announced by the rebel TMC faction, Ali said he had no information regarding the development. His comments added another layer of uncertainty to the unfolding political episode.
Political observers believe the controversy has unexpectedly brought the virtually unknown NCPI into public discussion. What was previously an obscure registered political organisation has suddenly become the centre of attention due to the merger claims made by the TMC dissidents.
The portrayal of the NCPI as a Tripura-based party has also triggered intense discussions within political circles. Many analysts view the move as an attempt by the breakaway TMC faction to maintain political relevance after failing to establish a significant foothold in mainstream political platforms.
Critics argue that the development reflects the growing fragmentation of opposition politics in the state. Some political commentators have gone so far as to describe the NCPI as a “ghost party,” alleging that the breakaway TMC leaders have turned to an organisation with little visible presence or influence after being unable to attract support from larger national parties.
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As questions continue to mount, the controversy has highlighted broader concerns about transparency, political representation, and the credibility of merger announcements in regional politics. Whether the NCPI can establish any meaningful presence in Tripura remains uncertain, but for now, the party has become the subject of intense political scrutiny and public curiosity.
