Lok Sabha Speaker Extends Deadline for Rebel TMC MPs' Disqualification Reply

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has granted 20 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs until September 22, 2026, to submit their replies in ongoing disqualification proceedings under the anti-defection law. The extension was announced on Thursday, September 3, following a request from the MPs, who have now joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The decision provides additional time for the MPs, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, to respond to notices sent by the Speaker on August 26. Those notices had originally required a reply within seven days. The extension comes after the Supreme Court, on August 25, agreed to hear a plea from TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee seeking an expedited decision on the disqualification petitions. The court directed that the proceedings before the Speaker be handled expeditiously and issued a notice to the 20 MPs. The disqualification case stems from the MPs' decision to leave the TMC in June 2026 following the party's defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections. They subsequently joined the NCPI, a smaller party that has announced its support for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).