Overview
- The West Bengal Assembly Secretariat has asked 10 MLAs aligned with Ritabrata Banerjee to file written replies within seven days to a disqualification petition, starting formal proceedings under the anti‑defection law.
- The 10 named legislators include Ritabrata Banerjee, Arup Roy, Firhad Hakim, Sandipan Saha, Akhruzzaman Ansari, Shiuli Saha, Sabina Yasmin, Biplab Mitra, Javed Khan and Rathin Ghosh.
- Senior TMC MLA Sovandeb Chattopadhyay has moved the Supreme Court seeking disqualification of those 10 MLAs under the Tenth Schedule, asking the courts to press the Speaker or the Assembly to act.
- The Election Commission has summoned both factions for hearings on Thursday, September 17, and may make an interim decision on the TMC’s twin‑flower symbol that would affect which camp can contest the October 6 Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls.
- The split already reached Parliament when 20 rebel Lok Sabha MPs quit the TMC for the NCPI and received Lok Sabha Secretariat notices on disqualification petitions, signalling prolonged multi‑forum legal fights and fast‑moving political consequences for local voters and party staff.