Lok Sabha issues notice to 20 rebel TMC MPs after Abhishek Banerjee’s Supreme Court petition

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has issued notices to 20 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs, seeking their responses within seven days, in connection with disqualification petitions filed by the party.The development comes after TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee approached the Supreme Court, challenging the delay in deciding the pleas against the MPs.The 20 MPs are accused by the TMC of abandoning the party and subsequently joining the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).

The party has sought their disqualification under the anti-defection provisions of the Constitution.The notices from the Speaker’s office come a day after the Supreme Court sought responses from the 20 MPs on Banerjee’s petition. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notices on Tuesday while hearing Banerjee’s plea seeking directions for the Lok Sabha Speaker to decide the pending disqualification petitions within a fixed timeframe.Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha, told the Supreme Court that notices had already been issued to the 20 MPs on the disqualification petitions filed by the TMC under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.However, Justice Joymalya Bagchi made it clear that the issue before the court was not simply whether notices had been issued, but whether the proceedings would be completed within a reasonable timeframe.The TMC has maintained that the 20 MPs violated the anti-defection law by leaving the party and joining another political organisation.

Abhishek Banerjee has argued that their conduct attracts disqualification under the Tenth Schedule.Also Read: Bengal court issues arrest warrant against TMC MP Mahua Moitra over controversial remarksThe petition names the Lok Sabha Speaker and the House Secretary General as the principal respondents. The 20 MPs have also been made parties to the case.The MPs facing the disqualification proceedings include Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Satabdi Roy, Prasun Banerjee, Rachana Banerjee, Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, Partha Bhowmick, Arup Chakraborty, Adhikari Deepak Dev, Sayani Ghosh, Bapi Haldar, Md Abu Taher Khan, Kalipada Saren Kherwal, Asit Kumar Mal, June Maliah, Mitali Bag, Khalilur Rahaman, Mala Roy, Sharmila Sarkar and Yusuf Pathan.Reacting to the Speaker’s decision, TMC MP Sagarika Ghose described the move as a significant breakthrough.

She said the Speaker’s office had acted after nearly two months and issued notices to the 20 MPs following the Supreme Court proceedings.Ghose accused the MPs of betraying the mandate on which they were elected and alleged that their move to join another party was in violation of the Constitution and the law.She also argued that the Tenth Schedule provides for disqualification in such circumstances and claimed that political parties, rather than individual MPs, can merge under its provisions.

#WATCH | Delhi | On Lok Sabha Speaker issuing notices to 20 NCPI MPs, TMC MP Sagarika Ghose says, What has happened today is a breakthrough. It is very significant and important that after two months, the Speakers Office has finally acted and sent a notice to the 20 traitors… pic.twitter.com/yfyb9vSthR— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2026The TMC MP said the disqualification petitions had been filed in June and questioned why it had taken two months for the Speaker’s office to act.

She further said the action came after Abhishek Banerjee moved the Supreme Court over the delay.