Last Updated:
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India secured just 0.03 per cent of the votes in the 2023 Tripura assembly election and all three of its candidates lost their deposits
Rebel TMC MPs merged with the NCPI. (ANI)
The electoral journey of the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI)—now home to 20 TMC rebels—began with just 840 votes in three Tripura assembly seats in 2023. Three years later, it could emerge as one of the largest blocs in the Lok Sabha through a parliamentary realignment rather than a popular mandate. That contrast captures the scale of the political upheaval.
NCPI, listed as a Registered Unrecognised Political Party (RUPP), secured just 0.03 per cent of the votes in the 2023 Tripura assembly election. This has been the only election the party has fought when it contested three assembly seats in the state. The party’s closing balance in its accounts in 2022-23 was a meagre Rs 75.
In the 2023 election, roughly 28 lakh (2.8 million) valid votes were cast state-wide. A vote share of 0.03 per cent translates to approximately 840 votes across the state.
NCPI did not contest the 2024 Lok Sabha election or win any parliamentary or assembly seat prior to its moment in the sun right now after Trinamool rebels decided to merge with the little-known party.
The party, which has virtually no electoral footprint, is registered with the Election Commission as an unrecognised party. But it would move from having around 800-900 votes in its known electoral history to becoming one of the largest blocs in Parliament overnight—an almost unprecedented development in Indian politics.
NCPI candidates lost their deposits in all three seats they contested in 2023. That is what makes the present development so extraordinary: a party whose entire known electoral history amounts to just 840 votes in a state election will now be a significant force in Parliament with 20 rebel TMC MPs. It will be the biggest constituent of the NDA after the BJP.
About the Author
Aman Sharma, Executive Editor – National Affairs at CNN-News18, and Bureau Chief at News18 in Delhi, has over two decades of experience in covering the wide spectrum of politics and the Prime Minister…Read More
Read More
