20 Rebel TMC MPs Seek More Time to Respond to Disqualification Notices

Twenty rebel Trinamool Congress MPs who have aligned themselves with the NCPI have sought an additional 15 days to respond to notices issued by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on a petition seeking their disqualification under the anti-defection law.

The request was made as the deadline granted by the Lok Sabha Secretariat for submitting their replies was set to expire on Thursday.

Parliamentarian Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, one of the rebel MPs, said the group was yet to collate all documents required to prepare its response and had therefore sought an extension from the Speaker.

“Our deadline to send a reply is about to end today. We are writing to the Lok Sabha Speaker requesting 15 days more time,” she said.

The disqualification notices were issued following a petition seeking action against the MPs under the anti-defection provisions.

The rebel MPs have maintained that their decision to leave the TMC and align with the NCPI does not attract disqualification under the law. Their response to the notices is expected to set out their position on the issue and the circumstances surrounding their political alignment.

The MPs' legal team was working on the response but could not complete it before the deadline, prompting the request for additional time.

The 20 parliamentarians are also scheduled to hold an urgent meeting in Kolkata at 3 pm on Thursday to discuss the notices and decide their next course of action.

The meeting is expected to focus on the disqualification proceedings, the request for an extension and the legal strategy to be adopted by the MPs.

The Speaker's decision on the request for additional time will determine the next stage of the proceedings arising from the disqualification petition.