TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay Defends Merger with Nationalist Citizens Party

TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay defended the party's merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party, asserting it adheres to the two-thirds rule under anti-defection laws. Speaking to CNN-News18, Bandyopadhyay said the MPs were elected on the TMC symbol and that the party would stake its claim in Parliament on July 20.

The merger has triggered a political and legal dispute over the parliamentary recognition of TMC MPs, the legitimacy of the merger agreement, and its implications under the anti-defection framework. The development raises questions about party symbols, factional claims, and whether the merger can withstand legal and political scrutiny.