TMC mulls action against MLAs who skipped assembly session defying party’s whip
Some senior party leaders put the number of MLAs, who skipped the session on the last day of the assembly session last week defying a party whip, to at least 50
Kolkata: The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal is mulling action against a few dozen party legislators for allegedly skipping the last day of the assembly session last week defying a whip issued by the party’s chief whip.
TMC chief whip Nirmal Ghosh had issued a whip for all MLAs to attend the last two days of the budget session on March 19 and 20. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee attended and addressed the session on Wednesday (March 19). But party leaders said that several MLAs skipped the last day of the assembly sessions despite the whip.
Some senior party leaders put the number of such MLAs, who skipped the session on the last day, to at least 50.
TMC leaders also said that Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, the state parliamentary affairs minister, has asked the party’s chief whip Nirmal Ghosh to submit a report on the number of leaders who skipped the sessions.
“We are working on the list of legislators who remained absent without taking permission or without informing us on either one day or during both sessions. We will complete the process by Wednesday. By Thursday or Friday, we will hold a meeting and take action,” Nirmal Ghosh, chief whip of the TMC, told HT.
Ghosh had issued a whip for all MLAs to attend the last two days of the budget session as some bills were to be tabled. Had the opposition demanded a voting, the party would have needed its full strength.
“While a finance bill and an education bill were tabled, the Business Advisory (BA) committee also sat in the House. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee addressed the house on Wednesday,” said a senior TMC leader.
