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Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and other rebel TMC MPs face a fresh deadline in the ongoing disqualification row. (Img: X)
New Delhi: Twenty rebel Trinamool Congress MPs aligned with the NCPI have sought another 15 days to respond to disqualification notices issued by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The fresh request comes as the October 8 deadline expires, putting the spotlight back on the politically charged anti-defection row and the future of the 20 MPs in Parliament.
The 20 MPs, who broke away from the Trinamool Congress and aligned themselves with the NCPI, have approached the Lok Sabha Secretariat seeking additional time to submit their replies to notices issued in connection with a disqualification petition.
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, one of the rebel MPs, said the group had not yet been able to collate all the documents required to prepare its response. The MPs have therefore requested another 15 days to complete their submission. The request was made on Thursday as the deadline fixed by the Lok Sabha Secretariat for their replies was set to expire.
The notices stem from a petition seeking action against the MPs under the anti-defection provisions. The political dispute intensified after the MPs moved away from the TMC and aligned themselves with the NCPI.
The rebel MPs have maintained that their decision to leave the TMC and align with the NCPI does not attract disqualification under the anti-defection law. Their legal response is expected to set out their position on the issue.
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The rebels have cited the need to gather and organise documents as the key reason for seeking more time. Their legal team was reportedly unable to complete the response before the October 8 deadline. The fresh extension request could prolong the uncertainty surrounding the MPs’ status and give both sides more time to present their arguments before the Speaker.
The 20 MPs are also scheduled to hold an urgent meeting to discuss the Lok Sabha notices and decide their next course of action. The meeting assumes significance as the deadline issue adds another layer to an already contentious dispute over party affiliation, parliamentary representation and the anti-defection law.
The case could have wider political implications for the TMC’s parliamentary strength and the status of the rebel MPs, making the next procedural decision a closely watched development in Parliament.
