Lok Sabha Secretariat issues disqualification notices to 20 rebel TMC MPs

The Lok Sabha Secretariat has issued notices to 20 rebel Trinamool Congress Members of Parliament, directing them to respond within seven days to a petition seeking their disqualification under the anti-defection law. The notices, dated August 25, 2026, follow a petition filed by TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee and were issued a day after the Supreme Court agreed to hear his plea for an expeditious decision on the matter. The petition, submitted on June 18, 2026, was filed under Rule 6 of the Members of Lok Sabha Disqualification on Ground of Defection Rules, 1985.