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NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has called Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee for a meeting on June 19 to present his case against recognising a breakaway faction within the Mamata Banerjee-led party, as the Speaker weighs competing claims arising from a widening split in the TMC’s Lok Sabha ranks. The hearing comes after rebel TMC MPs sought recognition as a separate parliamentary group following their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India, prompting Birla to hear both sides before taking a decision.Birla has decided to consult both the rebel camp and the official TMC leadership before ruling on the matter, news agency PTI reported, citing parliamentary sources. While dissident MPs have already met the Speaker, the Mamata Banerjee camp had sought an opportunity to present its position. The dispute has intensified amid claims by rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar that the dissident camp now commands the support of 22 MPs in the TMC’s 28-member contingent in the Lok Sabha. The rebel lawmakers have reportedly sought recognition as the “real TMC” and have also held meetings with senior BJP leaders in New Delhi, deepening the political crisis confronting the party.Ahead of the rebels’ outreach to the Speaker, MPs Kirti Azad and Sagarika Ghose from the Mamata Banerjee camp delivered a hard copy of a letter written by Abhishek Banerjee to Birla. The letter, dated June 10 and previously sent via email, urged the Speaker not to recognise any separate faction within the party.”We went to him to deliver the hard copy. He wasn’t there, so we received an acknowledgement from his office. There is no provision in the Constitution for forming a separate group,” Azad said.In his letter, Abhishek Banerjee argued that reports suggesting a group of TMC MPs could seek recognition as an independent bloc were legally untenable and contrary to constitutional provisions.”The AITC is a single, indivisible political party. The legislative party in the Lok Sabha derives its very existence from, and remains an emanation of, the political party. There is in law only one AITC, one leader of the party in the House, and one Whip, all of whom hold office by authority of the political party and its competent organisational authority,” Banerjee wrote.”No member or set of members can, by their own volition, carve out a parallel ‘group’ or ‘faction’ of the same party and claim independent recognition within the House,” he added.Abhishek Banerjee also requested that the Trinamool Congress be given an opportunity to be heard before any decision is taken regarding claims by any group seeking recognition as the party’s legitimate representative in Parliament. He further informed the Speaker that the party reserved its right to initiate proceedings under the Tenth Schedule against members whose actions may violate constitutional and legal provisions.
