India, July 4 -- With the Monsoon session of Parliament expected to begin on July 20, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is set to decide before then on two politically significant merger requests - one by 20 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs seeking to join the Nationalist Congress Party of India (NCPI) and another by six Shiv Sena (UBT) lawmakers seeking to merge with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction.

Two senior Lok Sabha officials, speaking anonymously, said Birla is examining the legal and procedural aspects of both cases and may even seek a legal opinion before making a final call. They added that Birla is likely to consult the law ministry and study past precedents before deciding on the merger applications.

"The Speaker will go t...