Now Reading: TMC accuses BJP of stacking Bengal assembly panels with rebel MLAs
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TMC accuses BJP of stacking Bengal assembly panels with rebel MLAs
Trinamool Congress MLA Kunal Ghosh has accused West Bengal's BJP government of colluding with the rebel Ritabrata Banerjee faction to control assembly standing committees. Speaking on Friday, Ghosh alleged that nine of…
The Story in Brief
Trinamool Congress MLA Kunal Ghosh has accused West Bengal's BJP government of colluding with the rebel Ritabrata Banerjee faction to control assembly standing committees. Speaking on Friday, Ghosh alleged that nine of the ten committee chairmanships given to opposition legislators went to MLAs aligned with the rebel camp, while senior TMC figures like former Speaker Biman Banerjee were sidelined to low-profile panels. He questioned the neutrality of Speaker Rathindra Basu and said the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC would seek a review.
The ruling BJP and the rebel TMC camp reject the charges, saying the distribution follows assembly rules and the numerical strength of parties in the House. The controversy comes amid similar accusations of political destabilisation in local bodies: the TMC claims BJP forced 13 councillors in Kanthi Municipality to resign, leading to the board's dissolution and appointment of an administrator.
The Indian Opinion
The TMC's cry of a 'B-team' taking over assembly committees sounds familiar, every ruling party blames the Speaker when it loses its edge. Yet the facts are uncomfortable: nine of ten opposition chairmanships went to MLAs not aligned with Mamata Banerjee, and senior legislators got minor roles. The real test is whether the Speaker re-allocates the Public Accounts Committee chairpersonship, a post convention says should go to the main opposition. Until then, both sides are playing politics with parliamentary rules.
Sources (2): deccanherald.com, millenniumpost.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
