Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has scheduled a meeting with Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee on June 19 to hear the party's position regarding claims made by a rebel faction within the TMC.

The dispute emerged after a group of dissident TMC MPs reportedly sought recognition as a separate parliamentary group following their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India.Before taking a decision, the Speaker has chosen to hear arguments from both the rebel camp and the official TMC leadership.

The political controversy has intensified after rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claimed that the dissident faction enjoys the support of 22 out of the TMC's 28 Lok Sabha MPs.

The rebel legislators have reportedly approached the Speaker seeking recognition as the legitimate or 'real' TMC and have also met senior BJP leaders in New Delhi.In response, MPs Kirti Azad and Sagarika Ghose submitted a hard copy of a letter from Abhishek Banerjee to the Speaker.

In the letter, Banerjee argued that the All India Trinamool Congress is a single and indivisible political party and that no group of MPs can independently create a separate faction and seek official recognition within Parliament.He maintained that there can be only one authorised party leadership, one leader in the House and one official whip.Banerjee also requested that the party be given a formal opportunity to present its case before any ruling is made.

Additionally, he stated that the TMC reserves the right to initiate action under the Tenth Schedule, commonly associated with anti-defection provisions, against members whose actions are found to violate constitutional or legal requirements.The Speaker's eventual decision could have significant implications for the party's representation in Parliament.