The Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla, has approved the merger of six rebel MPs from the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction with the rival Eknath Shinde-led faction.These six MPs, part of the Uddhav Sena's nine Lok Sabha members, joined Shinde's faction on June 22.The Shinde Sena, now with 13 Lok Sabha MPs, is part of the ruling National Democratic Alliance.Additionally, the speaker allowed 20 Trinamool Congress rebel MPs to sit separately in the Lok Sabha.However, the merger of the TMC rebels with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India remains pending.The Uddhav Sena had argued that only the party, not individual legislators, can decide on mergers, citing constitutional provisions.Meanwhile, the TMC's internal divisions continued, with nearly 60 MLAs rebelling against the party leadership.

The article highlights the political maneuvering and constitutional debates surrounding party mergers in the Lok Sabha, emphasizing the impact on parliamentary dynamics and party alliances.