Kiren Rijiju invites Sudip Bandopadhyay as NCPI leader for all-party meeting

New Delhi: Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju has extended a separate invitation to senior MP Sudip Bandopadhyay, leader of the National Citizens Party of India (NCPI), for Sunday’s all-party floor leaders’ meeting ahead of the monsoon session. The development signals the Centre’s engagement with the newly formed parliamentary group even as its request for formal recognition remains under the Lok Sabha speaker’s consideration.

In his letter on Saturday, Rijiju referred to Bandopadhyay and 19 other MPs recently joining the NCPI and seeking recognition from the speaker, and said the request was “under his (speaker’s) consideration”.

The meeting of floor leaders of parties in both Houses has been convened at 11 am on Sunday in Parliament House Annexe to discuss legislative business and ensure the smooth functioning of Parliament.

The NCPI has informed the Lok Sabha speaker about its parliamentary leadership, naming Sudip Bandopadhyay as Leader in Lok Sabha, Shatabdi Roy as deputy leader and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as chief whip.

Rijiju’s letter specifically requested Bandopadhyay to attend the meeting along with Dastidar.

The development is significant as the party has also been allotted office space in the new Parliament building, where rooms are generally earmarked for parliamentary parties and groups, although the speaker has yet to make a formal decision on NCPI’s recognition.