NEW DELHI: The 20 rebel TMC MPs who have broken away from the party are expected to begin participating in NDA meetings from next Tuesday sources said.
The development comes days after 20 of the TMC’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs revolted against the party leadership following its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections and joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a registered but unrecognised political party based in Howrah.
The rebel MPs have submitted a petition to the Speaker seeking recognition of their merger with the NCPI. “Our petition about merging with NCPI is pending with the speaker and we are hopeful of a decision being taken soon,” a party leader said.
The political realignment became visible during the customary all-party meeting convened ahead of the Monsoon Session, where rebel MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar attended after being invited by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. Their presence prompted opposition parties to stage a symbolic walkout before returning to the meeting.
If recognised by the Speaker, the breakaway faction would mark the biggest parliamentary splits in the TMC’s history and they would join NDA as NCPI. Otherwise they will have to attend the meeting as TMC rebels. The expected participation of the rebel MPs in NDA meetings from next week is likely to further deepen the political crisis within the TMC and reshape parliamentary equations during the session.
Power corridor
Renewable energy installed capacity 288 GW
Renewable energy installed capacity in the country has increased from 76.38 GW in 2014 to 288.58 GW by June 2026, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. The 288.58 GW includes 162.15 solar, 57.44 wind energy, 11.75 GW bio power and 57.24 GW hydro power. Minister of State for New & Renewable Energy Shripad Yesso Naik stated in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, “So far, a total of 297.36 GW non-fossil fuel sources based electricity capacity has been installed in the country as on June 30, 2026.
‘No centralised data base on HAIs in India’
India does not maintain a centralised national database capturing institution-wise data on all hospital-acquired infections, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said Tuesday. In a statement in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said, “Government has instituted mechanisms for surveillance of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) through various national programmes and institutions. However, a centralised national database capturing institution-wise data on all HAIs across the country is not maintained,” he said. The minister said that HAI surveillance is undertaken in designated institutions through established surveillance systems.
‘52L girls have got HPV jabs as of July 15’
An estimated 52,10,302 girls have received HPV vaccine across the country till July 15, the Rajya Sabha was informed Tuesday. The HPV vaccine, which is delivered free of cost at designated government health facilities in the country, was launched on February 28, for approximately 1.2 crore eligible beneficiary girls aged 14 years across all 36 states and UTs. In a written reply, Union Minister of State of Health and Family Welfare Ministry, Anupriya Patel, said training on HPV vaccination has been completed for medical and paramedical staff across all 36 states/UTs in the country. The coverage data on the HPV vaccination campaign is captured through U-WIN portal.
