Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) rebels with Eknath Shinde's Sena faction, while allocating separate seating for 20 Trinamool Congress (TMC) rebels joining the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).The decision comes ahead of the monsoon session and an all-party meeting.The TMC rebels, led by Sudip Bandopadhyay, had applied for merger with NCPI, a West Bengal-based party.The Lok Sabha's Table Office updated party positions, showing 13 Shiv Sena lawmakers and 3 Sena UBT members.The TMC rebels await clearance for their merger, with hopes of approval within days.The ruling National Democratic Alliance now has 319 MPs, falling short of the 360 needed for a two-thirds majority.Sena has become the second-largest ally after TDP with 15 members.

The government invited TMC rebels to an all-party meeting as NCPI representatives, sparking criticism from TMC's Derek O'Brien, who accused the Speaker of undermining democracy.The merger reflects shifting political alliances ahead of key parliamentary sessions.