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NEW DELHI / KOLKATA, 22 October 2026 | From the Breaking News Desk. Twenty rebel Trinamool Congress MPs have asked the office of the Lok Sabha Speaker for additional time until 3 November to respond to petitions seeking their disqualification under India’s anti-defection rules. Reports published on Thursday describe the request as the lawmakers’ fourth application for an extension.
Why are the MPs asking for more time?
The Speaker’s office had previously given the MPs until 20 October to submit replies. In individual letters dated 20 October, the MPs cited the Durga Puja holiday period in West Bengal and said more time was needed to finalise their responses. The requested new deadline is 3 November 2026.
What are the proceedings about?
The matter arises from disqualification petitions filed by Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee over alleged defections. The petitions seek action under the applicable Lok Sabha anti-defection procedure, including Rule 6 of the Members of Lok Sabha (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1985.
Several of the MPs have aligned with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India. The petitions and the MPs’ responses remain part of a parliamentary process; the filing of a petition does not mean the Speaker has disqualified the members.
Has the Speaker granted the new deadline?
As of the latest reporting checked for this article, no decision on the 3 November request has been confirmed. The MPs have asked for the extension; it is not yet an approved deadline. Any formal order from the Speaker’s office would supersede the procedural position described here.
Why the development matters in Bengal
The proceedings will determine the next steps in a significant dispute involving elected representatives from West Bengal and party affiliation in Parliament. The central question for now is procedural: whether the Speaker grants more time, directs the MPs to file replies under the existing notice or proceeds to consider the petitions.
MOJO PULSE will update this article when the Lok Sabha Secretariat communicates an official decision.
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