Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will hear arguments on June 19 regarding a split in the Trinamool Congress's Lok Sabha MPs. Rebel MPs seeking recognition as a separate group will present their case against the Mamata Banerjee-led party's official leadership.
Dissident Trinamool Congress MPs announced a merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party, seeking recognition as a separate group in Parliament. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction urged the Lok Sabha Speaker not to recognize the split, citing anti-defection laws, while legal experts criticized the move.
The West Bengal assembly speaker's decision will be crucial in determining the 'original party' in the Trinamool Congress crisis, following a faction claiming support of 58 MLAs. The Supreme Court has ruled that in such splits, neither faction can claim to be the original party, and the speaker must consider the party's constitution submitted to the Election Commission before the split.
