New Delhi, June 14 -- Rebel Lok Sabha MPs of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced Sunday evening that they will "merge" with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India, and support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

This was widely seen as a tactical move to avoid any implications of the anti-defection law. However, Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate of the Supreme Court, Kapil Sibal, said these MPs should be disqualified.

After meeting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at his residence in Delhi, rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said, "We, the 20 MPs elected from the AITC, met the Speaker and submitted a letter requesting to sit separately. These 20 MPs constitute more than two-thirds of our total strength."

"We are merging with the Nat...