E-Paper
Formalising the reality, says TMC on naming Banerjee parliamentary party’s chair
Friday’s announcement on Mamata Banerjee comes a month after TMC’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who is seen as the in-charge of the party’s expansion plans, announced that the TMC would expand footprint in other states
KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday was unanimously chosen as the chairperson of the party’s parliamentary party.
The West Bengal chief minister is not a member of Parliament.
The resolution to make Banerjee the chairperson was proposed by TMC MP Sudip Banerjee, floor leader of the party in the Lok Sabha and TMC MP Derek O’Brien, leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha at a parliamentary party meeting of the TMC in New Delhi on Thursday.
“The resolution was unanimously adopted and signed by all the TMC MPs. Some of the MPs, who were out of station, would sign it on Monday. She was the chairperson of the TMC. She has also been unanimously chosen as the chairperson of the TMC parliamentary party with effect from Thursday,” O’Brien said at a press conference in New Delhi.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was quick to take a swipe at the TMC.
“It is an obvious decision. TMC is a one-woman party and that is Mamata Banerjee,” state BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.
Friday’s announcement comes a month after TMC’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who is seen as the in-charge of the party’s expansion plans, announced that the TMC would expand footprint in other states ahead of the 2024 national polls to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha said: “Usually the leader of a party’s parliamentary party is a MP. But any party can do anything, It is their decision.”
O’Brien, however, said: “Mamata Banerjee is a seven-time MP. She has the experience, insight, vision and the feel to guide the parliamentary party. She has been doing this and we were taking her guidance. She was just a call away. We are only formalising the reality.”
The TMC chief will camp in Delhi next week. While she already has an appointment from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Banerjee is also expected to meet a host of other political leaders.
Even though Mamata Banerjee was defeated by Adhikari by a margin of 1956 votes, she took oath as the chief minister for the third time. She now has to get elected from an assembly seat within six months in a by-election.
