TMC Loses Two Parliamentary Committee Chairships in Post-Election Reshuffle

In a reshuffle of six of the 24 department-related standing committees announced on Saturday, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) lost both of its chairperson berths. The Commerce Committee, previously chaired by Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen (TMC), was assigned to BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi. The Chemicals and Fertilisers Committee, formerly led by Lok Sabha MP Kirti Azad (TMC), was transferred to Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who heads a rebel TMC faction that claims to have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).

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The changes follow the West Bengal Assembly elections, in which the BJP secured a sweeping victory. A group of TMC MPs, led by Dastidar, approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asserting that they had merged with the NCPI and sought recognition as a separate bloc. The Speaker’s decision on the faction’s status remains pending. The reshuffle also involved other parties: the BJP replaced several of its own committee chairs, while Congress and allied parties retained many of their positions.

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• Saturday – Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announce the new chairperson assignments for six standing committees.

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• Following the announcement – TMC leaders Derek O’Brien and Abhishek Banerjee submit letters questioning the legitimacy of the appointments and the party affiliation of the newly appointed chairpersons.

Hindustan Times

• Six of the 24 standing committees experienced a change in chairperson.

Hindustan Times

• The TMC lost two chairperson positions, reducing its representation on committee leadership.

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• The BJP gained one chairpersonship (Commerce) and retained several others, while the rebel faction secured the Chemicals and Fertilisers chair.

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• Abhishek Banerjee (TMC MP) objected to Dastidar’s appointment, arguing that the chairmanship was allotted under a party affiliation that is still under dispute in pending disqualification proceedings. He noted that the Digital Sansad website still lists 28 Lok Sabha members as belonging to the AITC, while the newly appointed chair claims affiliation with the NCPI.

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The TMC’s objections focus on procedural fairness and party representation. Derek O’Brien contended that the reshuffle repeats a pattern of marginalising the TMC despite its status as the third-largest party in the Rajya Sabha. Abhishek Banerjee questioned the legitimacy of assigning a chairpersonship to a member whose party affiliation remains unresolved, suggesting that the decision bypasses pending disqualification petitions.

The Indian Express

Sources differ on the exact party affiliation under which Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar’s chairmanship was allocated. While the Digital Sansad portal lists her as an AITC member, the appointment documents cite her affiliation with the NCPI, a claim contested in ongoing disqualification proceedings. No definitive resolution has been reported.

Hindustan Times

The Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is expected to rule on the pending merger claim and the related disqualification petitions, which will determine whether the rebel faction’s members are formally recognised as a separate bloc for future committee assignments.

Hindustan Times