Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee is set to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday evening to oppose the recognition of a rebel faction formed by 20 party MPs, as the Speaker weighs competing claims arising from a split within the party.
According to sources, Banerjee will meet Birla at 5 pm in the Speaker's Parliament Chamber to present the party's position on the issue.
The meeting assumes significance as the Speaker considers a demand by 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs to be recognised as a separate group after their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India. Birla had invited the TMC Lok Sabha leader to present his views before any decision is taken on the matter.
Earlier, on June 10, Banerjee wrote to the Speaker urging him not to recognise any group claiming to be a separate faction of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). In his letter, he argued that the Constitution and the anti-defection law do not permit the formation of a separate group within an existing political party.
He had also sought an opportunity for the AITC to present its case before any decision was made regarding the rebels' claim.
The rebel MPs have already met the Speaker and submitted their position. However, Birla has decided to hear both sides before arriving at a conclusion.
Parliamentary sources said the Speaker will take a decision in accordance with the law and the rules governing the House.