Abhishek Banerjee seeks withdrawal of Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar's chairmanship
Abhishek Banerjee writes to Om Birla seeking withdrawal of Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar's chairmanship due to pending disqualification petitions.
In a significant political move, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) Parliamentary Party Leader in Lok Sabha, Abhishek Banerjee, has formally objected to the appointment of MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as the Chairperson of the Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers. Writing directly to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Banerjee has requested the immediate withdrawal of this appointment.
Dispute Over Disqualification Petitions
The crux of Banerjee's objection lies in the pending legal status of the appointee. He highlighted that Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar is among twenty Members of Parliament against whom disqualification petitions remain pending before the Speaker under the Tenth Schedule.
Banerjee pointed out that he had previously communicated his concerns regarding such appointments. In a letter dated September 23, 2026, he had explicitly requested that Members facing pending disqualification petitions be excluded from consideration for Departmentally Related Standing Committee (DRSC) appointments until those legal matters are resolved.
Questioning Party Affiliation and Parliamentary Propriety
The TMC leader raised sharp questions regarding the political identity under which the chairmanship was granted. He noted a discrepancy in official records, where the Digital Sansad website still lists 28 Lok Sabha Members as belonging to the AITC. However, the newly appointed Chairperson claims affiliation with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI)—a move resulting from a purported merger that is currently being disputed in ongoing proceedings.
Banerjee posed several pointed questions to the Speaker:
- Under which party affiliation has this chairmanship been allotted?
- If allotted to the AITC, on what basis was the party's nominee replaced against its express wishes?
- If allotted to the NCPI, under what order has that affiliation been recognized?
The TMC leader argued that the reported association of the NCPI with the NDA does not settle the question of affiliation under the Tenth Schedule, which requires a formal decision through the pending proceedings.
Demanding Restoration of AITC Nomination
Banerjee emphasized that appointing a Member to a chairmanship while their affiliation remains under legal scrutiny is contrary to parliamentary propriety. He insisted that this appointment cannot be treated as a chairmanship allotted to the AITC and demanded that the post be restored to the Member duly nominated by the party.
Furthermore, he has urged an early decision on the pending disqualification petitions and requested a formal written response to the queries raised in his letter.
Background: The TMC Exodus
This political standoff follows the departure of 20 TMC Lok Sabha MPs who left the party following the West Bengal Assembly elections. These members joined the NCPI and have aligned themselves with the BJP-led NDA. While the rebel MPs claim their move was a valid merger, the legal status of their membership remains under intense scrutiny by the Speaker and the Supreme Court.