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LS Speaker to calls Abhishek Banerjee for 19 June meeting
New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has invited Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee for a meeting on June 19 as part of the ongoing dispute over the party's split in Parliament, according to sources.
The development comes after a group of 20 rebel TMC MPs sought recognition as a separate parliamentary faction following their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).
Sources said Speaker Birla is expected to hear the arguments of both rival factions before taking a final decision. Legal opinion is also likely to be sought to ensure that any decision taken by the Speaker can withstand judicial scrutiny if challenged in court.
The rebel MPs have already met the Speaker and submitted their case. Meanwhile, the faction led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also sought an appointment to present its position.
Banerjee Invited Amid ED Questioning
According to TMC sources, the Speaker's Office sent an email to Abhishek Banerjee around 2 PM on Monday, requesting him to appear before Om Birla at 4 PM the same day and present his side of the dispute.
Soon after, the Speaker's Office reportedly contacted TMC MP Kirti Azad to inform him about the invitation. Azad is said to have conveyed that Banerjee was then cooperating with the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which was questioning him in Kolkata.
Later in the day, Azad personally met Speaker Birla and briefed him about Banerjee's ongoing engagement with the investigation. TMC sources said Banerjee was released only around midnight after the questioning concluded.
Battle for Recognition Intensifies
Nearly 20 TMC MPs have announced their decision to join the relatively lesser-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The rebel group has also indicated that it intends to seek recognition as the "real TMC" in Parliament.
A decision on the recognition dispute is expected before the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which is likely to commence in the third week of July.
The breakaway faction is reportedly being led by MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who has earlier suggested that the group would extend support to the NDA, further intensifying the political battle within the Trinamool Congress.
