India’s Strongest Regional Party Collapses Thanks to Modi’s BJP
India’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) collapsed after 20 of its 29 Lok Sabha members defected to the BJP-led NDA, boosting the ruling coalition’s numbers as it pursues a two-thirds parliamentary majority. The party’s downfall followed its defeat in West Bengal’s state elections, where it lost power and saw key leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, defeated in their constituencies.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC), once India’s strongest regional party, has disintegrated within a month after losing West Bengal’s state elections to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The party’s collapse accelerated as 20 of its 29 Lok Sabha members defected to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), merging with the obscure Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) to avoid anti-defection laws. The NCPI, previously unknown with just 90 Facebook followers, now stands to become the second-largest NDA constituent, surpassing regional parties like the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United). The TMC’s downfall began after its defeat in West Bengal’s 2026 state elections, where it secured only 27% of seats. Founded in 1998 by Mamata Banerjee, the party had previously ruled West Bengal with majorities of 63% (2011–2016) and 73% (2016–2026). Banerjee herself lost her seat, marking a historic setback for the party that once wielded significant influence in national opposition politics and foreign policy, particularly regarding Bangladesh. Following the election loss, 58 of the TMC’s 80 West Bengal legislators broke away, forming a separate bloc led by an expelled leader. The Assembly speaker recognized this faction as the official TMC legislative party, a move the original party has challenged in court. Four TMC members in the Rajya Sabha also resigned, creating opportunities for the BJP to win those seats in by-elections. The BJP’s role in orchestrating the TMC’s split is widely suspected. The defected MPs’ merger with the NCPI—lacking a website and previously irrelevant—has strengthened the NDA’s numbers, bringing its total in the Lok Sabha to 313. While this remains short of the 362 seats needed for a two-thirds majority, it inches the coalition closer to its goal of amending the constitution, including redrawing parliamentary boundaries and implementing simultaneous elections. Analysts describe the TMC’s collapse as unprecedented, erasing a party that once dominated West Bengal’s politics and held substantial sway in national opposition dynamics. The defections have reshaped India’s political landscape, handing the BJP a strategic advantage as it consolidates power ahead of potential constitutional reforms.
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