New Delhi, June 15 -- The 20 rebel Lok Sabha MPs from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced on Sunday that they will merge with the registered but unrecognised Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The MPs, who were initially planning to seek recognition as a "separate bloc", perplexed many with their unexpected decision to "merge" with the lesser-known NCPI.

Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal questioned the legality of the "merger". He exclaimed, "The rebels of the TMC legislative party cannot merge with a political party; that can happen only if the TMC wishes to do so! Disqualify them!"

Many experts Mint spoke to echoed Kapil Sibal's observation.

PD Thankappan Achary, the former secretary-general of the Lok Sabha,...