India, June 15 -- A major group of rebel Lok Sabha MPs from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), claiming support from about 19 to 22 of the party's 28 MPs, have merged with the little-known Nationalist Citizens Party, a political group in Tripura. After this, they intend to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Leader of the TMC faction, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, made these details public after meeting Lok Sabha Speaker on Sunday.

Sources say this move is to circumvent anti-defection law and capitalise on TMC's weaknesses after the election. The split happened after TMC lost the West Bengal Assembly polls.

The rebel leaders, led by four-time Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, say they left because of governance problems, claims of ...