KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: As the deadline for the 20 rebel TMC MPs to submit their replies on a disqualification petition ended on Thursday, the MPs who aligned themselves with the NCPI have sought an additional 15 days to respond to notices issued by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on the petition seeking their disqualification under the anti-defection law.
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who is among the 20 MPs, said they were yet to collate all the documents needed to prepare their response, so sought an extension from the Lok Sabha secretariat. “Our deadline to send a reply is about to end today. We are writing to the Lok Sabha Speaker requesting 15 days more time,” Ghosh Dastidar told the media.
The Lok Sabha secretariat had given the MPs until October 8 to respond to the notices issued following the petition seeking action against them under the anti-defection provisions. The MPs’ legal team could not complete the response before the deadline, prompting them to seek additional time.
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. An urgent meeting was called on Thursday to discuss the notices and decide their next course of action. Sources said around 50% of the 20 rebel MPs remained absent from the meeting called at a Kolkata hotel by Sudip Banerjee.
The MPs who skipped the meeting were Kakoli, Sayani Ghosh, Yusuf Pathan, Mala Roy, June Maliah, Partha Bhowmick, Mitali Bag, Kaipada Soren, Deb and Asit Mal.
Those who attended the meeting were Sudip, Abu Taher, Sharmila Sarkar, Khalilur Rahaman, Jagadish Basunia Burman, Satabdi Roy, Prasun Banerjee, Bapi Halder, Rachana Banerjee and Arup Chakraborty, the sources said.
“Someone has gone abroad, someone’s son is sick while some others have other engagements and programmes. But we have contacted all,” Arup Chakraborty told the media. “We don’t have any issue or differences of opinion with them,” said an MP who participated in the meeting.
The disqualification notices were issued following a petition filed by Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee belonging to Mamata Banerjee faction seeking action against the MPs under the anti-defection provisions.
The disqualification proceedings stem from petitions filed by TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on June 18, after the 20 MPs broke ranks with the Mamata Banerjee-led organisation and joined the NCPI, extending support to the BJP-led NDA. While the rebels have sought recognition as a separate political entity in the Lok Sabha, parliamentary records continue to list them as TMC members.
The Speaker’s office has also not formally recognised them as a separate parliamentary party, although they were given separate seating arrangements ahead of the monsoon session.
The Mamata faction has termed the rebels’ move a defection warranting action under the Tenth Schedule, while the rebels contend that their decision followed a loss of confidence in the existing TMC leadership and that they are entitled to establish a separate political identity.
The request for more time drew a sharp response from the Mamata -led TMC faction. “They themselves don’t know which party they are in now. They need time to say that. These turncoats make tall claims, but cannot answer a notice,” TMC leader Kunal Ghosh further stated.
‘No differences with MPs who skipped meet’
An urgent meeting was called on Thursday by the TMC rebel faction to discuss the Lok Sabha notices and decide their next course of action. Sources said around 50% of the 20 rebel MPs remained absent from the meeting called at a Kolkata hotel by Sudip Banerjee. “We don’t have any issue or differences of opinion with those who didn’t attend the meeting,” said an MP who participated in the meeting.
