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3 clusters · 7 sources · 8 days · First seen · Last updated

TMC MP disqualification dispute in India

Overview

A legal and political dispute has emerged regarding the potential disqualification of 20 Trinamool Congress (TMC) Members of Parliament (MPs) who defected to join the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The TMC alleges these members violated anti-defection provisions under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.

In late August, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla issued notices to the 20 rebel MPs, requesting responses within seven days following a Supreme Court petition by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee. The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, has also sought responses and emphasized the need for an expeditious decision.

By early September, Speaker Om Birla granted an extension to the rebel faction, allowing NCPI floor leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay and other members, including Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, until September 22 to file a reply to the disqualification petition. The group, which left the TMC in June, joined the Tripura-based NCPI in an attempt to bypass the Tenth Schedule and gain recognition as a separate political group.

While the Speaker has provided separate seating for the 20 MPs in the House, he has not yet officially approved their merger with the NCPI. TMC MP Mahua Moitra expressed surprise at the extension, suggesting it could be used to delay proceedings. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the matter on September 18, 2026, following its directive to handle the disqualification proceedings expeditiously.

Entities

Om Birla · Trinamool Congress · Abhishek Banerjee · Nationalist Citizens Party of India · National Citizens Party of India

Timeline

  1. 8 days ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Lok Sabha Speaker extends deadline for 20 rebel TMC MPs

    Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla extended the deadline for 20 rebel TMC MPs to respond to disqualification petitions until September 22, following their move to join the NCPI.

  2. 10 days ago

    [POLITICS] 4 sources
    Lok Sabha Speaker grants extension to TMC rebel MPs

    Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has granted rebel TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay until September 22 to respond to a disqualification petition filed by Abhishek Banerjee under the anti-defection law.

  3. 15 days ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Lok Sabha Speaker issues notices to 20 rebel TMC MPs

    Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has issued notices to 20 rebel TMC MPs seeking responses within seven days regarding their potential disqualification for joining the National Citizens Party of India.

Sources

deccanchronicle.com · desitalkchicago.com · millenniumpost.in · news.abplive.com · news18.com · newsable.asianetnews.com · sentinelassam.com

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history