Two days ago Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called upon the Opposition parties to unite and act in advance to throw the BJP out of power. On Friday Banerjee’s party appointed her the chairperson of the All India Trinamool Congress parliamentary committee that the Trinamool Congress insiders called a step taken well in advance to beat the “Congress’ right to galvanise the Opposition” in the 2024 general elections to say the least.
The decision takes place ahead of the Chief Minister’s visit to Delhi where she is likely to meet a number of opposition leaders including NCP chief Sharad Pawar — in a bid to lay the groundwork for a greater national focus for herself and her party.
“Mamata Banerjee will become our Trinamool parliamentary party chairperson. This is a reality we are formalising. Mamata Banerjee is a seven-time MP. She was already guiding the parliamentary party… there are two levels to the development … a conceptual level and a strategic level,” O’Brien said.
“All the MPs who were present were consulted and those who were not were spoken to over telephone and there was a unanimous decision to appoint Mamata Banerjee who is also the Trinamool Congress national president the chairperson of the parliamentary committee … we are proud and feel empowered,” Roy said.
Banerjee a former Union Minister and MP of 26 years replaces Sudip Bandopadhyay to the post and becomes one of very few such leaders apart from Congress’ Sonia Gandhi to become the parliamentary committee chairperson of her party without being an MP. Gandhi became the Congress president as also the parliamentary committee chief in 1998.
Not completely devoid of relevance senior Trinamool leader and Bengal Minister Arup Biswas had on Wednesday said “ebar Bharat Banglar meye ke chai” meaning thereby that not only Bengal but also India wanted the daughter of Bengal at the helm of affairs in Delhi.
The Friday’s announcement came in the midst of stormy session in Parliament post suspension of Trinamool MP Shantanu Sen for alleged misdemenour shown towards Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw even when he was responding to the Pegasus snooping scandal.
Soon after Sen’s suspension O’Brien said, “We want parliament to run. But at the same time we want two or three issues to be discussed. We want structured discussion on Pegasus issue, and Farmers’ Bill ... We want the farm laws to be repealed.”
Saying that TMC MP Mohua Moitra had moved a privilege motion against the suspension Roy said that the “despite consecutive notices served on the issue the Chairman of Rajya Sabha was not allowing discussion … he passed a non-speaking order rejecting the discussion which was arbitrary and bad in law.” On the suspension he said “every person deserves a chance to defend himself or herself but here Dr Sen a corona warrior and doctor of repute was not given that chance before he was suspended.”