{
  "id": 7342840,
  "title": "17 NCPI MPs to join BJP soon? Samik Bhattacharya reacts to claim by rebel TMC leader Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/17-ncpi-mps-to-join-bjp-soon-samik-bhattacharya-reacts-to-claim-by",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-14T14:55:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Live Mint",
    "slug": "live-mint",
    "url": "https://www.livemint.com/news/india/17-ncpi-mps-to-join-bjp-soon-samik-bhattacharya-reacts-to-claim-by-rebel-tmc-leader-jagadish-chandra-barma-basunia-11789393433562.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Rebel TMC leader Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia made claims that 17 of the 20 NCPI MPs will join the BJP before or after Durga Puja in October. However, BJP dismissed the allegations, stating they wouldn't accept members based on their willingness. Basunia said the plan was to join BJP after TMC's rule ended in the state, but it didn't happen, so they joined NCPI instead. He added that 17 MPs would join BJP together, avoiding disqualification under the anti-defection law. Abu Taher Khan, Khalilur Rahaman, and Yusuf Pathan will support the NDA but won't join BJP due to political dynamics in their constituencies. Out of 27 TMC MPs, 20 joined NCPI to support the BJP after Mamata Banerjee's defeat in the assembly polls. Other NCPI MPs denied knowing about the BJP claims.",
  "summary": "Basunia said 17 MPs are about to join the BJP and plans have been laid out to keep them outside the purview of the anti-defection law. Here's what the NCPI MPs said.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}