The political dispute over 20 Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha MPs has intensified after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla issued notices to the lawmakers in connection with a disqualification petition filed by TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee.
The MPs have been given seven days to submit their responses to the allegations raised against them. The notices were issued on August 25 and include a copy of Banerjee’s petition, which was filed on June 18 under the Members of Lok Sabha (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1985.
The development comes days after the Supreme Court sought responses from the 20 MPs over Banerjee’s plea seeking a time-bound decision on their proposed disqualification.
Supreme Court Takes Up TMC Disqualification Row
A three-judge Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana had taken up the matter on Tuesday.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Secretary General, informed the court that notices had already been sent to the MPs concerning the disqualification petitions filed by the TMC.
The court, however, indicated that merely issuing notices would not settle the matter and stressed the need for the proceedings to reach a conclusion within a defined period.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed, “It is not a question of issuing notices; it is a question of concluding the proceedings within a time frame.”
The Supreme Court’s intervention has added another layer to the political and constitutional dispute surrounding the 20 MPs and their alleged defection.
Why Is TMC Seeking Disqualification of 20 MPs?
The TMC has accused the lawmakers of effectively giving up their association with the party after joining or aligning themselves with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).
Banerjee’s petition argues that the MPs were elected on TMC tickets and that their subsequent political move amounts to voluntarily giving up membership of the party. The TMC has therefore invoked the anti-defection provisions under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
The rebel MPs, however, have taken a different position. They have maintained that their move should be treated as a valid merger, rather than an act of defection attracting disqualification.
The lawmakers have also been recognised as a separate NCPI group in the Lok Sabha and have participated in activities associated with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
20 TMC MPs Named In Disqualification Plea
The MPs named in Banerjee’s petition are:
- Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar
- Sudip Bandyopadhyay
- Satabdi Roy
- Prasun Banerjee
- Rachana Banerjee
- Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia
- Partha Bhowmick
- Arup Chakraborty
- Adhikari Deepak Dev
- Sayani Ghosh
- Bapi Haldar
- Md Abu Taher Khan
- Kalipada Saren Kherwal
- Asit Kumar Mal
- June Maliah
- Mitali Bag
- Khalilur Rahaman
- Mala Roy
- Sharmila Sarkar
- Yusuf Pathan
The Speaker’s latest notices mean the MPs must now formally respond to the allegations. Their replies could become an important part of the proceedings before the Lok Sabha Speaker as the constitutional dispute over their status in Parliament continues.
The case is being closely watched because it involves the interpretation of India’s anti-defection law, particularly the circumstances under which a lawmaker can be disqualified for leaving a political party or joining another political formation.
