Overview
- Parliamentary authorities reconstituted 24 department-related standing committees with effect from September 26, and the new chair appointments were made public on Saturday.
- Senior opposition figures were retained in key roles, with Shashi Tharoor kept as External Affairs chair and Charanjit Singh Channi named to Agriculture.
- The TMC lost two chairships when BJP’s Sudhanshu Trivedi replaced Dola Sen on Commerce and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a rebel MP, took over Chemicals and Fertilisers from Kirti Azad.
- TMC leaders Derek O’Brien and Abhishek Banerjee have formally objected by letters to the Rajya Sabha Chairman and Lok Sabha Speaker, arguing that rebel MPs should not receive committee posts while disqualification petitions are unresolved.
- The disputed status of about 20 breakaway MPs, who say they merged with the NCPI, remains before the Lok Sabha Speaker and has been flagged by the Supreme Court for delay, a development that could affect committee access, bill scrutiny and the balance of parliamentary oversight.