Did Suvendu Adhikari just signal Trinamool exodus 2.0?

The West Bengal CM's cryptic "much more yet to come" remark after meeting former Trinamool Congress MPs has heightened speculationWest Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on August 4 fuelled fresh speculation over another round of political realignments in the state, hinting that the recent exodus from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) may not be over yet.Adhikari’s remark came after he met 22 MPs from West Bengal at a luncheon in New Delhi. They included 19 MPs who, following the TMC’s assembly election defeat and split in the outfit, associated themselves with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).Among those present were senior leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Satabdi Roy. The meeting was also attended by three former TMC Rajya Sabha MPs who have since joined the BJP—Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik.However, three NCPI MPs—Abu Taher, Khalilur Rahaman and Yusuf Pathan—did not attend the earlier National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parliamentary meeting in New Delhi, raising questions about whether every NCPI MP has aligned with the BJP-led coalition. Abu Taher has already stated publicly that he is “neither in the BJP nor in the NDA” When reporters asked whether all NCPI MPs were now on board, Adhikari chose to answer with ambiguity. “When the photographs are released, count them, one, two, three, four, five. If needed, there could be more [MPs]. This is only a glimpse. Much more is yet to come,” he said with a smile. The remark immediately sparked speculation that more leaders could switch sides in the coming weeks.The meeting was the first time Adhikari had interacted collectively with the NCPI's Lok Sabha MPs since the party formally joined the NDA. Until now, leaders such as Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar had separately met the chief minister, but the August 4 gathering brought the parliamentary contingent together under one roof.After leaving Banga Bhavan, the venue of the meeting, Adhikari met Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament. “Nirmala-ji knows West Bengal very well. She has visited the state several times to campaign for the BJP. We discussed two specific issues—one concerning the tea garden workers and the other relating to workers in the textile industry,” Adhikari said, adding that the discussions had been productive.Earlier in the day, Adhikari had met Union home minister Amit Shah before holding discussions with West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya.Despite the speculation surrounding the NCPI's position within the NDA, party leaders maintained that the August 4 discussions were centred on governance rather than politics. Satabdi Roy said the NDA meeting did not involve any discussion about the party's role within the alliance; rather the focus remained on constituency development and administrative issues.Another NCPI MP, Rachana Banerjee, hinted that the political churn may not be over. “All 20 of us are together. The number may even increase,” she said. Asked who else could join, she merely smiled and replied, “You can figure that out.”With Adhikari declaring that this was “only the beginning”, the meeting has reignited speculation over whether the post-election realignment in West Bengal is set to enter another phase.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsPublished By: Akshita JollyPublished On: Aug 5, 2026 17:17 IST