Speaker to decide fate of rebel Sena UBT, TMC MPs before Monsoon Session

A crucial decision on the future of rebel MPs from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Trinamool Congress is expected before Parliament's Monsoon Session begins in July, with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla completing hearings with all sides and moving towards the final stage of consultations.

Sources said Birla on Wednesday heard submissions from leaders of the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction in the dispute involving six Shiv Sena MPs who crossed over to the Eknath Shinde-led camp. The interaction is understood to be the final round of consultations before the Speaker takes a call on the matter.

The ruling could have major implications for both parties, which have sought the disqualification of the rebel MPs under the anti-defection law.

FINAL HEARINGS COMPLETE

According to sources, the Speaker has already met representatives of both camps twice over the past few weeks.

The first round of interactions took place after rival groups sought meetings with him. A second round followed after the MPs were formally summoned, when their submissions were recorded on the record.

Wednesday's meeting with Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders was aimed at hearing their arguments in detail before a final decision is taken.

Sources said hearings in both the Shiv Sena and TMC matters have now been completed.

The Speaker's office is expected to consult constitutional and legal experts before arriving at a final ruling.

Past precedents in similar cases are also being examined to ensure that any decision is constitutionally sound and legally sustainable.

SHIV SENA ROW

The dispute arose after six of the nine Lok Sabha MPs elected on Shiv Sena (UBT) tickets joined the rival Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The switch triggered a battle over the recognition of the party's parliamentary group in the Lok Sabha.

Shiv Sena (UBT) has argued that the six MPs should be disqualified under the anti-defection law.

After meeting Birla on Wednesday, party MPs Anil Desai and Arvind Sawant said they urged the Speaker to uphold constitutional provisions and sought details of the submissions made by the rebel MPs.

"We asked him if he had received any appeal from the rebels..." Sawant told reporters, adding that the Speaker informed them that nothing had been received in writing from the rebel MPs.

Desai said the party had stressed that the Tenth Schedule leaves little room for interpretation.

"Any group of a legislature party cannot merge into some other party on its own, even if they have a two-thirds majority," he said.

"We expect justice," Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said when asked about the issue.

In February 2023, the Election Commission recognised the Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena.

Shinde had led the rebellion in 2022 that split the undivided Shiv Sena and brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra.

TMC FACES BIGGER REBELLION

The Speaker has also heard both factions in the Trinamool Congress dispute.

A delegation led by TMC general secretary and Lok Sabha leader Abhishek Banerjee met Birla and sought the disqualification of rebel MPs who broke away from the party.

Of the 29 MPs elected on TMC tickets in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, 20 later left the party and joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India, a registered but unrecognised political party based in West Bengal.

The rebel MPs also expressed support for the Narendra Modi government and conveyed their desire to join the NDA.

One TMC MP has since passed away, leaving the seat vacant.

Banerjee argued before the Speaker that the rebels cannot claim protection under merger provisions.

According to TMC, the anti-defection law exempts legislators from disqualification only when two-thirds of the entire political party merges with another party, not when only elected representatives choose to do so.

Banerjee also submitted 20 separate petitions seeking the disqualification of the rebel MPs.

He maintained that the rebels' claim of having merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India was legally untenable.

SEATING ARRANGEMENTS ALSO UNDER REVIEW

As the Speaker weighs his decision, the Lok Sabha Secretariat is also examining seating arrangements ahead of the Monsoon Session.

Apart from the rebel groups of the TMC and Shiv Sena (UBT), the DMK has sought a separate seating arrangement away from the Congress after the latter ended its long-standing alliance with the Tamil Nadu party and aligned with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's party, TVK.

Sources indicated that the Speaker's ruling on the Shiv Sena and TMC disputes is likely to be announced before Parliament reconvenes in July.

The outcome will determine whether the rebel MPs retain their positions in the Lok Sabha or face disqualification under the anti-defection law.

- Ends