Abhishek Banerjee Urges Om Birla to Expedite Disqualification Pleas Against 20 Rebel MPs

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee has urged Speaker Om Birla to urgently decide the disqualification pleas pending against 20 MPs who were elected on the TMC ticket but later rebelled against the party.

In a letter dated July 27, Banerjee said the petitions were filed on June 19 under the anti-defection provisions of the Constitution. He argued that the continuing delay in initiating proceedings was weakening the purpose of the Tenth Schedule, which is intended to prevent elected representatives from defecting after winning on a political party’s symbol.

According to Banerjee, the 20 MPs subsequently associated themselves with what he described as the “NCPI”. He claimed that the group is not recognised as a political party and has no representation in Parliament or any state legislature.

The TMC leader said the disqualification petitions were accompanied by detailed factual and legal submissions explaining how the conduct of the MPs allegedly attracted the provisions of the Tenth Schedule and justified their removal from the Lok Sabha.

Banerjee expressed concern that more than five weeks had passed since the petitions were submitted, but the Speaker’s office had neither issued notices nor fixed any hearings. He added that no procedural directions had been communicated in the matter.

He argued that the Speaker’s authority to adjudicate defection cases must be exercised within a reasonable period. Allowing such petitions to remain unresolved, he said, creates prolonged uncertainty over the status of the MPs and defeats the constitutional objective behind the anti-defection law.

Banerjee also pointed to the participation of the rebel MPs in an all-party meeting convened ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. He referred to Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s decision to invite them as a separate group to the July 19 meeting.

While refraining from commenting on the final merits of the disqualification pleas, Banerjee said the invitation demonstrated why an early decision had become necessary. According to him, continued uncertainty over the MPs’ status could affect both the functioning of Parliament and the credibility of the anti-defection mechanism.

In his letter, Banerjee requested the Speaker to list the petitions for hearing without further delay. He also urged that all 20 cases be examined and decided individually, as each petition concerns the disqualification of a separate MP and requires an independent assessment of the relevant facts and law.

The TMC leader further sought a complete opportunity for all concerned parties and their legal representatives to present their arguments, in accordance with the principles of natural justice.

He asked the Speaker to conclude the proceedings expeditiously and pass appropriate orders at the earliest under Paragraph 6 of the Tenth Schedule, which gives the presiding officer of the House the authority to decide disqualification disputes.