Om Birla summons Abhishek Banerjee over TMC rebellion

The rebel faction, claiming to represent two-thirds of their legislative contingent, seeks to bypass the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution by rebranding under the NCPI banner. Their push for separate seating in the Lower House has forced the Speaker into a delicate arbitration role. Birla is now reviewing the legal validity of the merger request, balancing the rebels' claims against the party leadership’s efforts to maintain control over its parliamentary membership.

This meeting was initially set for June 15, but Banerjee missed the deadline due to an ongoing Enforcement Directorate interrogation. TMC MP Kirti Azad intervened at the time, informing the Speaker’s office that Banerjee was unreachable and cooperating with federal investigators. As the legal dispute intensifies, the NCPI—a party with minimal prior national presence—has suddenly become the focal point of a political tug-of-war. The rebels assert their transition complies with anti-defection thresholds, while the party hierarchy works to challenge the legitimacy of the maneuver.