Since June, there have been major rifts in the Trinamool Congress and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray). Twenty MPs from the Trinamool rebelled to merge with the National Citizens Party of India, a Tripura-based, registered, and unrecognised political party. On June 19, 2026, six MPs from the Shiv Sena (UBT) defected to the Eknath Shinde camp of Shiv Sena. As a result, and amid the Opposition’s claims of these “illegal” and “unconstitutional” switches, the National Democratic Alliance’s strength in the Lok Sabha swelled by 26 seats.

The two graphics below show these 26 MPs, from the Trinamool and Shiv Sena (UBT), who joined the NCPI and Shiv Sena, respectively.

The NCPI aligns itself with the BJP-led NDA. With the addition of 26 MPs, the alliance’s strength in the Lok Sabha has increased to 318 from 293 seats.

The Trinamol and other Opposition parties have criticised the entry of the Trinamool rebels into the NCPI, with Congress general secretary (communication) Jairam Ramesh stating that the “bizarre move is part of the Union Home Minister’s strategy to engineer a two-thirds majority for the NDA in the Lok Sabha”. The defection of 20 rebels has reduced the Trinamool’s strength in the Lower House to eight and the NCPI has emerged as NDA’s strongest ally. Here is how the altered map of West Bengal’s Lok Sabha constituencies look like.

The monsoon session will conclude on August 17, 2026, and the speculation is rife that the government — with its newly-added strength — could revive the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which sought to redistribute Lok Sabha seats based on the 2011 Census and implement women’s reservation. On April 17, 2026, the bill fell short of the required two-thirds majority and was defeated by a united Opposition. However, the Bill has not been included in the legislative agenda circulated among MPs.

The government has not formally confirmed or denied reports that it may introduce a revised version of the Bill during the session. The five bills listed by the government for the monsoon session include:

•                                                             The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend the 1971 law to make the intentional insult of, or disruption during, the singing of the national song *Vande Mataram*a punishable offence.
  

  • Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, which proposes stricter provisions for delayed registration
  • The Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026
  • The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026
  • The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026

Published - July 23, 2026 11:01 pm IST