TMC moves Supreme Court against delay in disqualification of 20 rebel MPs

The bench, comprising CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana, has agreed to hear Abhishek Banerjee's plea challenging the Speaker's failure to take a final decision on the disqualification petitions.Mamata Banerjee, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Kakali Ghosh DastidarThe Trinamool Congress (Mamata Banerjee faction) has approached the Supreme Court against the delay by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in deciding its petitions seeking the disqualification of 20 rebel MPs. The plea, filed through TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, will be heard by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Tuesday.The bench, comprising CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana, has agreed to hear Banerjee's plea challenging the Speaker's failure to take a final decision on the disqualification petitions.The TMC has said that the 20 MPs have engaged in activities against the party and later merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). Banerjee has argued that the MPs should face action under the anti-defection law.WHAT TRINAMOOL SAYSAccording to the petition, Banerjee has repeatedly met Speaker Om Birla since June 2026 and submitted written complaints concerning the conduct of the 20 MPs. However, he has claimed that no satisfactory action has been taken on the complaints. The plea also raises questions over the status of the rebel MPs within Parliament. It claims that the Speaker has not formally recognised the rebel group as a separate entity, even though the seating arrangements of the MPs in the House have been changed.The petition alleges that while the MPs describe themselves as members of NCPI outside the House, they continue to identify themselves as members of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) inside Parliament.TMC INVOKES ANTI-DEFECTION LAW Banerjee has argued that the conduct of the MPs warrants action under the anti-defection law. The plea challenges the delay in deciding the disqualification petitions and seeks the Supreme Court's intervention on the issue.The TMC has also relied on previous Supreme Court judgments, including the 2023 Subhash Desai case, to argue that Speakers should decide petitions concerning defections within a reasonable, time-bound period.The petition cites the principle that such matters should ordinarily be decided within three to four months, rather than being kept pending indefinitely.SC HEARING ON TUESDAYThe Supreme Court's CJI-led bench will hear the matter on Tuesday. The proceedings will bring before the apex court the TMC's allegations regarding the 20 MPs, the pending disqualification petitions and the Speaker's handling of the matter.The case has been filed directly against the alleged delay in taking a decision on the petitions submitted before the Lok Sabha Speaker, with Banerjee seeking judicial intervention over the issue.- EndsPublished By: Akash ChatterjeePublished On: Aug 24, 2026 17:41 IST