NEW DELHI: Three Lok Sabha MPs of the National Congress Progressive Initiative (NCPI) on Tuesday skipped the NDA parliamentary party's weekly Mangal Milan meeting for the second time, bringing to the fore apparent differences within the 20-member breakaway Trinamool Congress (TMC) faction over its proximity to the BJP-led alliance.
Khalilur Rahaman (Jangipur), Abu Taher Khan (Murshidabad) and Yusuf Pathan (Baharampur) stayed away from the meeting, repeating their absence from the NDA's first Mangal Milan on June 28. Their decision comes amid continuing uncertainty over Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's recognition of the newly formed NCPI group.
Seeking to dispel speculation that they were moving closer to the BJP, Abu Taher Khan said the three MPs remained outside the NDA fold.
"We are not with the NDA, and neither are we going to the BJP, rest assured. There was an NDA meeting today as well, and the three of us did not attend it," Khan told reporters.
At the same time, he indicated that the MPs would engage with the West Bengal government on constituency issues.
"But we will attend the meeting called by the Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari because it is about developmental works in my constituency. We will not support any step that is against Muslims either," he said.
The absence of the three MPs assumes significance as the 20-member NCPI group's recognition in the Lok Sabha is still pending before Speaker Om Birla.
To secure protection under the anti-defection law, the breakaway faction would need to demonstrate that it represents at least two-thirds of the TMC's original strength of 28 Lok Sabha MPs.
NCPI floor leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay, however, sought to play down suggestions of internal discord after attending the NDA parliamentary party meeting for the first time. He had missed the inaugural Mangal Milan on June 28.
"I am one of the senior-most parliamentarians in the country. Everyone in the NCPI is united. It is a good experience," Bandyopadhyay said.
The weekly NDA meeting, held in the Parliament House complex, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior Union ministers including Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and S. Jaishankar, besides representatives of NDA allies such as JD(U), JD(S), NCP and Shiv Sena.
BJP president Nitin Nabin was seated next to the Prime Minister, a day after the BJP suffered a setback in the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar, where the party lost the seat vacated by Nabin following his election to the Rajya Sabha after becoming BJP president.
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya made a presentation highlighting the government's sports policy and India's improved performance in international competitions. He said parliamentarians were also briefed on employment generation and social security schemes.
