Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) Members of Parliament with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, paving the way for a significant political realignment ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The revised party position, issued by the Lok Sabha Table Office, reflects the change, leaving the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) with just three MPs in the House.
The decision also comes amid developments involving 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs, who have sought recognition under the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). While the Speaker has not yet formally approved their merger, the MPs have been allotted separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha, indicating that their request remains under consideration.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
According to parliamentary sources, the Centre has already invited the rebel TMC leaders to Sunday’s all-party meeting as NCPI representatives. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, in a letter to rebel leader Sudip Bandopadhyay, acknowledged that the request for recognition is pending before the Speaker.
The latest changes increase the strength of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena to 13 Lok Sabha MPs, making it the NDA’s second-largest ally after the Telugu Desam Party. However, the ruling alliance still remains well short of the two-thirds majority mark in the Lok Sabha.
The Speaker’s move has drawn criticism from the Trinamool Congress. Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O’Brien accused the government of sending mixed signals, pointing out that while the Speaker continued to classify the rebels as TMC MPs, they were simultaneously invited to the all-party meeting as NCPI representatives.
The political reshuffle comes just ahead of the Monsoon Session beginning Monday, setting the stage for a contentious parliamentary session.
