Kiren Rijiju invites TMC rebels Sudip, Kakoli to all-party meet before Monsoon Session
Ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has invited rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kakoli Ghosh
Ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has invited rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who have joined the Citizens Party of India (NCPI), to attend the all-party meeting scheduled for Sunday, July 19. Rijiju wrote to Sudip Bandyopadhyay in his capacity as the Leader of the NCPI in the Lok Sabha and invited Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as the party's nominated Chief Whip. Read Full Story In his letter, Rijiju noted that Bandyopadhyay and 19 other Members of Parliament had recently joined the NCPI and had already approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking recognition, which remains under consideration. "Recently, you along with 19 other Members of Parliament have joined Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and have already requested the Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha for recognition which is under his consideration. It is my pleasure to invite you for a meeting of Floor Leaders of Political Parties in Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha to discuss important issues and Legislative Business likely to come up before the Houses in the ensuing Monsoon Session of Parliament.
I would seek your cooperation to ensure smooth functioning of both the Houses of Parliament," Rijiju said in the letter. The all-party meeting has been scheduled for 11 am on July 19 in the Main Committee Room of Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi. The development comes amid a major political churn in West Bengal after 20 rebel TMC Lok Sabha MPs decided to merge with the NCPI and extend support to the BJP-led Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre. The rebel MPs had earlier met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking separate seating arrangements and formal recognition as a separate parliamentary group. According to news agency ANI, the group of 20 rebel TMC MPs will sit separately from the parent party in the Lok Sabha. However, report further said no final decision has been taken on the rebel MPs' demand to be recognised as part of the Citizens Party of India, and the matter remains under consideration.
Before taking a decision, Speaker Om Birla also met a TMC delegation led by the party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, as well as representatives of the breakaway group. Earlier, Rijiju announced that the Monsoon Session of Parliament would run from July 20 to August 13. "On the recommendation of the Govt of India, Hon'ble President, Smt. Droupadi Murmu ji has approved the summoning of both the Houses of Parliament for the Monsoon Session 2026. The Session will commence on July 20, 2026 and continue till August 13, 2026, for meaningful debate, discussion and decisions on issues of Importance," Rijiju said in a post on X. The upcoming session is expected to witness heated exchanges amid recent political developments, including splits within several opposition parties. Besides the split in the TMC, three of the party's Rajya Sabha MPs have resigned and joined the BJP. Shiv Sena (UBT) has also witnessed a split, with six Lok Sabha MPs joining the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
The BriefWire