Supreme Court declines to set deadline for Speaker in TMC MP disqualification case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to fix a specific timeframe for Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to adjudicate on disqualification proceedings against TMC rebel members of parliament, even as it noted the rebels' plea for an extended period to submit their replies.

The bench heard submissions from counsel representing the rebel MPs who sought approximately four weeks to file their responses to the disqualification petitions. Rather than imposing a mandatory deadline, the apex court chose to record the parties' positions without prescribing temporal constraints on the Speaker's decision-making process.

The disqualification petitions against the TMC legislators were initiated under the anti-defection provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. The procedural delay comes as the rebel MPs, who switched allegiances from the All India Trinamool Congress, seek adequate time to mount their legal defence against the potential loss of their parliamentary seats.

The court's approach reflects the constitutional position that while the Speaker exercises quasi-judicial authority in defection cases, the judiciary generally refrains from micromanaging such proceedings through rigid timelines. However, the bench's acknowledgment of the request indicates judicial awareness of the matter's urgency.

With the Supreme Court declining to set firm deadlines, the Speaker's office will now proceed with its examination of the petitions and replies at its own pace, a development that could potentially prolong the resolution of the disqualification controversy.