NEW DELHI, Aug 26: The Lok Sabha Secretariat has served notices on 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs, seeking their responses within seven days to petitions demanding their disqualification under the anti defection law, sources said.
The notices, issued on August 25, include a copy of TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee’s petition dated June 18. The complaint was filed under Rule 6 of the Members of Lok Sabha (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1985.
The MPs have been directed to submit their comments on the allegations within seven days of receiving the notices.
The move comes shortly after the Supreme Court agreed to hear Banerjee’s plea seeking an early decision on the disqualification proceedings. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, took up the matter following allegations of delay in deciding the petitions.
During the hearing, the court stressed that the issue was not merely about issuing notices but about completing the proceedings within a specified timeframe.
The apex court also issued notices to the 20 MPs. However, it did not separately issue notices to the Lok Sabha Speaker or the secretary-general after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that he was appearing for them.
Banerjee had filed individual petitions against the MPs and subsequently sought their speedy disposal. He also met Lok Sabha Speaker on August 12 after sending a written reminder on July 27.
Dispute Over Party Allegiance
The controversy stems from a split within the TMC parliamentary group after 20 Lok Sabha members announced that they had joined or merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a political organisation based in Tripura.
The group subsequently sought separate recognition in Parliament and has been treated as an NCPI bloc in the House. The MPs have also taken part in NDA parliamentary activities.
The TMC argues that the lawmakers were elected on its ticket and that their decision to associate themselves with another political formation amounts to voluntarily giving up their party membership, making them liable for disqualification under the anti-defection provisions.
The rebel MPs, however, have maintained that their move represents a legitimate merger and does not attract disqualification.
The petitions have named 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 and Yusuf Pathan.
The latest notices now require the lawmakers to respond to the allegations, potentially setting the stage for further proceedings on the disqualification petitions.