Rebel Trinamool – Abhishek Banerjee said the 20 Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MPs who declared a merger with the NCPI after the 2024 elections should be disqualified under the anti-defection law, urging Speaker Om Birla to decide the petition without delay.
On Friday. June 19. 2026. as Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met a Trinamool Congress delegation led by Abhishek Banerjee. the demand was direct: disqualify the 20 rebel Lok Sabha MPs who were elected on the Trinamool Congress ticket in the 2024 general elections and have since declared a merger with the Nationalist Citizen Party of India (NCPI).
Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s national general secretary, said the rebel MPs are liable for disqualification under the anti-defection law. He said the party submitted all relevant Supreme Court judgments concerning the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution to the Lok Sabha Speaker and urged him to rule on the disqualification petition at the earliest.
“We presented all Supreme Court judgments concerning the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution to the Lok Sabha Speaker. All cases are against them (the rebel group). They are claiming to be a separate group. they want one of them to be elected the Lok Sabha leader of NCPI. Chief Whip and so on. This isn’t possible. They have to be disqualified,” Banerjee said.
Banerjee also argued that the Constitution requires consensus beyond the legislative party. He said the Constitution “clearly mandates” that at least two-thirds of the political party—not only the legislative party—must agree to a merger for it to be considered valid.
He said the Speaker told the delegation that he would call the 20 rebel MPs for a hearing and then return to the delegation. “We have left it to the judgment of the Speaker. Mr. Birla told us that he will call the 20 rebel MPs for a hearing and then come back to us. I hope the Lok Sabha Speaker works on a constitutional basis and does not smother the Constitution,” he said.
The Trinamool leader sharpened the accusation that the rebels are acting against both constitutional obligations and voter mandate. He accused the 20 MPs of “disrespecting” the Constitution and betraying the mandate of the people. “If they have even a little integrity, they should vacate their seats. They claim they have a problem with the Trinamool Congress, so then why not vacate the seats?. If you have political integrity. let there be an election. they can contest on the BJP ticket or NCPI ticket and let the public decide. ” he said.
Banerjee did not stop at legal questions. He alleged that external pressure and inducements were behind the decision. “Someone is worried about ED, someone is worried about CBI, someone is getting money, some are giving in to intimidation. I have concrete proof about this. If any of them feel offended by my remarks. they should file a case against me. I will prove it in a court of law. ” he said.
He linked the dispute to a personal run of enforcement actions over the past month-and-a-half. saying it was part of the same political climate. Banerjee said he has been summoned five times in the past month-and-a-half—“Thrice I have gone to CID. twice my house has been raided.” He contrasted that. saying security cover for the 20 MPs was enhanced by a government “that runs bulldozers on people”.
After Friday’s meeting at the Lok Sabha Speaker’s office on June 19, 2026, the matter now turns on how quickly Speaker Om Birla proceeds with the hearing he indicated and what his decision will be on the disqualification petition.
Abhishek Banerjee Om Birla Trinamool Congress rebel MPs disqualification anti-defection law Tenth Schedule NCPI merger Supreme Court judgments ED CBI CID
So they want to kick them out bc they merged? sounds like politics being politics.
Disqualification under anti-defection law… but isn’t that like, always used when someone leaves a party? Feels like a setup to me. Also Om Birla meeting them doesn’t really mean anything yet.
Wait I’m confused. It says they declared a merger with NCPI after the 2024 elections, so how is that automatically anti-defection? Like if they were elected under TMC ticket, sure, but merger with another party sounds normal?? Maybe the 2/3 thing means something else idk. Sounds like Banerjee just wants control of the leader spots.
This is why I don’t trust any of it. They say “all Supreme Court judgments” like that magically ends debate. If the Speaker calls for a hearing then returns to the delegation, that’s literally just theater. I bet they don’t disqualify all 20 anyway and then everyone pretends it’s about constitution rules.