Lok Sabha’s 7-day deadline for TMC rebels to reply to disqualification push

The Lok Sabha Secretariat recently sent notices to 20 Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs, demanding their response within a week regarding petitions initiated by TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee to disqualify them under the anti-defection law. The notices were issued on August 25, 2021, and contained a copy of Banerjee's petition from June 18 against the MPs who had joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).

As per Rule 6 of the Members of Lok Sabha (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1985, the Lok Sabha Secretariat requested the MPs to submit their comments on the petition within seven days for the Speaker's consideration. Discussed in the article is the significance of this notice as the Supreme Court recently requested a response from Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Banerjee's petition for an expeditious decision on disqualification proceedings against the 20 TMC MPs.