TMC leader reminds Lok Sabha of speeding up disqualifications of party members on grounds of defection​

NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress leader in Lok Sabha, Sudip Bandopadhyay, called up Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday to remind him of speeding up the two cases of disqualifications of the party members in the Lower House, on grounds of defection.
Bandopadhyay had officially written to the Speaker earlier about two TMC Lok Sabha MPs – Sunil Mandal and Sisir Adhikari – asking for the disqualification of their membership since both have joined the BJP and have campaigned for the saffron party during the recent state elections.
Interestingly Mandal, whose disqualification is pending from January 4, 2021, when Bandopadhyay first wrote to Birla about the Burdwan-Purba MP, has been desperately calling up and writing to TMC leaders to return to the party fold, it is learnt, ever since the May 2 elections results when Mamata Banerjee’s party defeated BJP to form government for a third term.
Mandal was one of the early birds to switch camps. He crossed over to BJP much before the assembly polls held in April and vigorously campaigned for the saffron party in the state.
Kanthi MP Sisir Adhikari, switched over to BJP soon after his son, Suvendu Adhikari, a minister in Banerjee’s cabinet crossed over before the elections and has been appointed leader of opposition in the Bengal assembly by BJP, after he defeated the chief minister from Nandigram. Bandopadhyay sent his letter demanding Sisir Adhikari’s disqualification from the House last month.
Both MPs have not resigned from their erstwhile party or their Lok Sabha seat, won on a TMC ticket, before joining the BJP. While there is no such rule that one must resign his seat before joining another party, propriety holds that the norm is followed. While speaking to Birla, Bandopadhyay pointed out to him that he himself had resigned from his assembly seat in Bengal that he held as a Congress party MLA, before joining TMC in 1998.
Bandopadhyay told TOI that the Speaker had assured him that he will be taking up the matter of disqualifications very soon.
Bandopadhyay’s letters to the Speaker have sought disqualification of the TMC members under Article 102(2) of the Constitution, with reference to para 2 (1) (a) of the Tenth Schedule and also according to Rule 6 of the Members of Lok Sabha, 1985 (Disqualification of the Ground of Defection).
Now it is to be seen whether Birla considers the disqualifications soon, given that he failed to act on a petition filed on January 4, against Mandal till date.