Archive · 4 Oct 2026
TMC Loses Two Panel Posts in Parliamentary Committee Reshuffle
Parliament has committees where lawmakers focus on different subjects.
The leaders of both houses changed the membership and leadership of these committees.
BJP lawmaker Sudhanshu Trivedi took over the commerce committee from TMC lawmaker Dola Sen.
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, described in the reports as part of a TMC rebel faction, took over the chemicals and fertilisers committee from Kirti Azad.
TMC leader Derek O’Brien objected, saying his party had been unfairly left without committee chair posts under the Rajya Sabha.
Other parties also had lawmakers appointed or kept as committee chairs.
The committees are reconstituted after one-year terms.
One report links the changes to a TMC split, while others do not give a reason for the reshuffle.
Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reconstituted parliamentary standing committees on Saturday.
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi replaced TMC MP Dola Sen as chairperson of the commerce committee.
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, identified as part of a TMC rebel faction, replaced Kirti Azad on the chemicals and fertilisers panel.
TMC leader Derek O’Brien protested that the party, the Rajya Sabha’s third-largest, had lost committee chair roles; he said TMC had held them in the previous two years.
Many other lawmakers were retained or appointed to committee leadership, including members of the DMK, Congress, BJP, JD(U), Shiv Sena, TDP, NCP and Samajwadi Party.
- Who
- Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reconstituted the committees; lawmakers from multiple parties were appointed or retained as chairs.
- What
- Department-related parliamentary standing committees were reconstituted, including changes to the commerce and chemicals and fertilisers chairmanships.
- When
- Saturday; reports identify the committee term as 2026–27 and state committees are reconstituted after one year.
- Where
- India’s Parliament.
- Why
- The reports describe the committee reconstitution but do not establish a single reason. One report links it to a split in the TMC; the TMC alleges unfair treatment.
TMC’s objection
Reported committee reshuffle
TMC representation in chair roles
TMC’s objection
Derek O’Brien said the TMC, as the Rajya Sabha’s third-largest party, had been unfairly deprived of committee chairpersonships and described the situation as Parliament being turned into a “deep, dark chamber.”
Reported committee reshuffle
The reports list the appointments and reappointments across parties but do not provide a response from the committee authorities to the TMC’s complaint.
Whether the TMC split explains the changes
TMC’s objection
One report links the reshuffle to a split in the TMC and says 20 rebel Lok Sabha MPs joined the Nationalist Citizen Party and supported the NDA.
Reported committee reshuffle
Other reports describe the committee changes without saying the party split caused them; they also identify Ghosh Dastidar as belonging to a TMC rebel faction.
- Committee structure
- Of 24 department-related standing committees, eight are under the Rajya Sabha Chairman and 16 under the Lok Sabha Speaker.
- Commerce committee
- Sudhanshu Trivedi replaced Dola Sen as chairperson.
- Chemicals and fertilisers committee
- Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar replaced Kirti Azad as chairperson.
- Committee term
- The committees serve one-year terms before being reconstituted.
- TMC protest
- Derek O’Brien wrote to C P Radhakrishnan, objecting that TMC received none of the chairpersonships of the eight committees under the Rajya Sabha.
- Other appointments
- Tiruchi Siva and K Kanimozhi were reappointed to chair the industry and food, consumer affairs and public distribution committees.
- Additional reported appointments
- Sunil Datatrey Tatkare was named to chair petroleum and natural gas; Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy was named to chair housing and urban affairs.
Sources
Trinamool Congress loses chairpersonship of 2 key Parliamentary panels
Trinamool Congress loses key Parliament panel posts in standing committee reshuffle - Telegraph India
TMC Loses Chairpersonship of 2 Key Parliamentary Panels
Trivedi, Ghosh Dastidar Get Key House Panels