The Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, is set to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on June 19 at Parliament House to present his views on the ongoing rebellion and large-scale defections from the party.
The meeting comes at a time when the TMC is facing a serious threat to its parliamentary existence, with 20 out of 28 MPs leaving the party to join another camp. The Speaker has clarified that no unilateral decision will be taken on the matter, and a final call will be made only after hearing both the rebel faction, which announced to merge with the NCPI, and the party’s official leadership.
Banerjee is expected to strongly oppose any attempt by the defecting MPs to gain recognition as a separate bloc or to project themselves as the “real Trinamool Congress” in the Lok Sabha. He has argued that granting such recognition would violate the anti-defection law and be unconstitutional.
This is the second opportunity for Banerjee to present his case before the Speaker. Earlier this week, he had missed a scheduled meeting after being summoned by central investigative agencies. At the time, the Diamond Harbour MP was undergoing prolonged questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at the CGO Complex in Kolkata, which prevented him from responding to the Speaker’s communication.
According to sources, the Speaker’s office had sent an email at 2:00 pm on Monday asking Banerjee to appear in Parliament by 4:00 pm. However, due to the ongoing interrogation, he was unable to even access the message.
Following the lack of response, the Speaker’s secretariat initiated urgent follow-up measures. Senior TMC MP Kirti Azad received a call shortly after, enquiring about Banerjee’s availability. Azad subsequently met the Speaker in person around 3:30 pm and informed him that Banerjee was unable to attend due to questioning by a central agency in Kolkata.
The developments come amid an acute internal crisis within the TMC, with political observers viewing the June 19 meeting as a decisive moment for the party. The outcome could determine whether the leadership led by Banerjee and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee can retain control over the party’s identity and its ‘Twin Flowers’ symbol in Parliament.
As tensions rise, all eyes are now on the Speaker’s office, where the upcoming deliberations could significantly shape the future of the Trinamool Congress in the Lok Sabha.
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