New Delhi, August 25: The Supreme Court has issued a notice regarding a petition filed by Abhishek Banerjee, the general secretary of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and a Member of Parliament. He has requested the court to direct Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to expedite decisions on petitions for the disqualification of 20 rebel TMC MPs who have attempted to break away from the party.
The Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, represented the Lok Sabha Speaker and presented his arguments. Banerjee has urged the Supreme Court to instruct Speaker Om Birla to promptly resolve the disqualification petitions concerning the MPs who have sought recognition as a separate political group in the Lok Sabha.
Twenty TMC MPs have separated from the party, seeking acknowledgment as an independent political faction. The TMC asserts that these MPs were elected to the Lok Sabha under the party’s election symbol, and thus, aligning with another political party violates anti-defection laws, warranting their disqualification.
Justice Bagchi, during the hearing, remarked that while they do not wish to direct a constitutional body, it is essential that such decisions are made in a timely manner. The Supreme Court indicated that it is not currently issuing a notice to the Lok Sabha Speaker but is notifying the other parties involved.
Before approaching the Supreme Court, Abhishek Banerjee had written to Speaker Om Birla, requesting a swift resolution to the disqualification petitions. Previously, senior TMC leaders, including Mahua Moitra and Kalyan Banerjee, had met with the Speaker, urging him to declare the 20 rebel MPs immediately ineligible.
It is noteworthy that following the results of the West Bengal Assembly elections, these 20 Lok Sabha MPs left the TMC to join the National Citizens Party of India. Subsequently, the TMC filed disqualification petitions against these MPs under the anti-defection law.
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