Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla (file photo)
After Trinamool was voted out of govt in Bengal, 20 MPs from the party announced their merger with NCPI and sought separate recognition in the House. These dissident MPs have since been allotted separate seatings and have even participated in parliamentary activities organised by the NDA.
Kolkata/New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has issued notices to 20 rebel Trinamool MPs who merged with Tripura-based Nationalist Citizens Party of India, seeking their response within seven days to Abhishek Banerjee ’s disqualification petition under the Constitution’s anti-defection law. He has made a lot of money in the past 15 years. But to me, 20 MPs constitute the two-thirds required for a formal merger.
Speaking to reporters, BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar said, “Anyone can move court. Ritabrata Banerjee-faction Trinamool MLA Akhruzzaman said: “We have nothing to do with NCPI. Trinamool contends that the MPs had given up their party membership voluntarily by aligning with another political entity after winning elections its symbol, thereby attracting disqualification under anti-defection provisions. The rebel camp maintains the move constitutes a valid merger. Ghose alleged the rebel MPs had violated the anti-defection law and called for their immediate disqualification for betraying the public mandate. The NCPI MPs are yet to respond to summons and show-cause notices. Abhishek Banerjee certainly can. Once the court decides, everything will clear. It’s a different party.”