Abhishek Banerjee objects to rebel TMC MP’s parliamentary panel chair post
Questioning the legal basis of Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar's appointment, Abhishek Banerjee urged Speaker Om Birla to restore the panel chairmanship to Trinamool Congress's official nominee.
2 min readKolkataUpdated: Oct 4, 2026 02:15 PM IST
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla objecting to Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar’s appointment as chairperson of a Parliamentary Standing Committee (File photo).
Trinamool Congress MP and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Saturday, objecting to the appointment of MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers.
Banerjee highlighted that Dastidar is among 20 Lok Sabha members of theTrinamool rebel faction facing pending disqualification petitions before the Speaker under the Tenth Schedule.
“In my letters dated September 23, I expressly requested that these Members be kept out of consideration for DRSC (Department-Related Standing Committees) appointments until the petitions were decided,” Banerjee wrote in his letter to the Speaker.
Banerjee reiterated that in his earlier communication, the party had formally requested to retain the chairmanship of one Standing Committee in the Lok Sabha and submitted its nomination for the existing chairperson to continue. He stated that the recent appointment disregards both the party’s explicit objections and its official nomination.
Highlighting procedural anomalies, Banerjee noted, “The Digital Sansad website continues to show 28 Lok Sabha Members belonging to AITC (All India Trinamool Congress). The member appointed, however, claims affiliation with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) through a purported merger disputed in the pending disqualification proceedings.”
He further questioned the party affiliation under which the chairmanship was allotted. “If it has been allotted to AITC, on what basis has the party’s nominee been replaced against its express wishes? If it has been allotted to NCPI, under what order has that affiliation been recognised, and on what basis has NCPI been given the chairmanship?” he wrote.
Disputed affiliation
Banerjee asserted that NCPI’s reported association with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) cannot resolve the Tenth Schedule affiliation issue while proceedings remain pending before the Speaker.
Story continues below this ad
“Appointing a member to a chairmanship while leaving the member’s disputed affiliation undecided is, in our submission, contrary to parliamentary propriety. This appointment cannot be treated as a chairmanship allotted to AITC,” Banerjee submitted.
Banerjee urged the Speaker to withdraw Dastidar’s appointment, restore the committee chairmanship to Trinamool’s duly nominated member, and deliver an early decision on the pending disqualification petitions.
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
Experience
Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.
Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.
Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:
State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.
Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.
Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More
