The Supreme Court has been approached by Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee seeking an expeditious decision on disqualification proceedings concerning 20 rebel MPs.
Trinamool Congress General Secretary and Lok Sabha leader Abhishek Banerjee has approached the Supreme Court seeking a direction for an expeditious decision on petitions seeking the disqualification of 20 party MPs who have broken away from the TMC parliamentary fold.
The writ petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, is scheduled to come up for hearing on August 25 before a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana. The plea questions the delay in the adjudication of the disqualification proceedings pending before Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
The dispute arises from a revolt within the TMC’s parliamentary ranks, with 20 MPs seeking to sever ties with the party and align themselves with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India. The rebel group has also sought recognition as a separate formation in the Lok Sabha.
The TMC, however, has maintained that the MPs secured their electoral mandate on the party’s symbol and that their subsequent decision to associate with another political formation squarely raises issues under the anti-defection framework. Banerjee had earlier moved separate disqualification petitions before the Speaker, urging their prompt disposal.
The Lok Sabha Speaker had, in the meantime, made separate seating arrangements for the 20 rebel MPs during the Monsoon Session. In his petition before the Supreme Court, Banerjee has impleaded the Speaker and the Lok Sabha Secretary General, besides the 20 MPs against whom the disqualification proceedings are pending.
The petition places the issue of legislative defections and the timely exercise of the Speaker’s adjudicatory powers under renewed judicial scrutiny, with the TMC now seeking the Supreme Court’s intervention to ensure that the pending disqualification pleas are decided without further delay.
The development comes against the backdrop of continuing litigation over parliamentary defections and recognition of breakaway groups, including a recent challenge mounted by the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction against the recognition of a merger involving its MPs. (Live Law)
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