Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee meets Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at Parliament House and submits 20 petitions seeking disqualification of “rebel” TMC MPs, alleging their voluntary defection and seat liability under the anti-defection law. Banerjee is accompanied by senior party leaders including Saugata Roy, Kalyan Banerjee, Mahua Moitra and Derek O’Brien. Speaking after the meeting, Banerjee says the MPs concerned have claimed to join the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and have also sought recognition as a separate group in the Lok Sabha. He argues that recognition is legally untenable and that the constitutional framework in the Tenth Schedule disqualifies members who leave their original party voluntarily. Banerjee further contends that the merger provision under the anti-defection law cannot be invoked because it requires merger of at least two-thirds of a political party as a whole, not just its legislature wing. He also says the party has provided judicial precedents to support its position and criticises the rebels’ demands for separate seating and organisational recognition. The Speaker is expected to hear both sides before deciding on the rebels’ request for separate recognition.