The West Bengal Legislative Assembly Secretariat on Tuesday issued disqualification notices to ten Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLAs who are part of the rebel faction led by former deputy chief minister Sundarpala and other senior leaders. The notices demand a written response within seven days, marking the first formal procedural step in what could become a significant legal and political battle over the stability of the state government.
The disqualification petitions were filed by supporters of the official TMC wing led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that the ten MLAs have voluntarily given up membership of the party or are defying the party whip in legislative proceedings. Under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, popularly known as the anti-defection law, legislators who defect to another party or vote against their party's direction in key votes can be disqualified from their legislative seats.
The十 MLAs named in the notices are Rittabrata Banerjee, Arup Roy, Firhad Hakim, Sandeepan Saha, Akhruzzaman Ansari, Shibu Soren, along with six other MLAs who have openly sided with the dissenting group. Their names were included in the petition after the rebel faction held a press conference asserting that they represent the original ideological foundation of the TMC and questioning the leadership decisions taken by the party's top command.
Legal experts say that once the notices are issued, the Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly, who is a TMC loyalist, will have to decide whether to proceed with the disqualification proceedings. The Speaker will consider the replies submitted by the MLAs within the stipulated timeframe before making a decision. If the Speaker rules against the MLAs, they could lose their seats and be barred from holding office for the duration of the disqualification period, which typically spans the remainder of the current legislative term.
The rebel TMC faction has been growing bolder in recent weeks, holding public meetings and criticizing the party leadership's policies and strategies. They have alleged that the current leadership has moved away from the party's grassroots-oriented approach and have called for internal elections to restore democratic functioning within the organization.
Political analysts suggest that the outcome of this disqualification case could have major implications for the balance of power in the Assembly. The TMC currently holds a comfortable majority, but the loss of ten MLAs could tighten the numbers and embolden opposition parties. The matter is expected to draw attention from the Supreme Court if either side appeals the Speaker's decision, as has been the pattern in previous defection cases across India.
