This was decided at the TMC national executive meet, chaired by party chief Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence.
At the meeting, the TMC chief also included national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in the list of national spokespersons to raise issues of national importance in New Delhi. He will be joining leaders like Derek O Brien, Kirti Azad, Sagarika Ghosh, Sushmita Dev among others.
The party also decided to appoint “area wise” and “sector wise” spokespersons.
The party also elevated five senior leaders, including Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee, state minister Manas Bhunia and party MP Kalyan Banerjee, to the party’s all-powerful working committee.
Speaking to the media after the national executive committee meeting, senior TMC leader and state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said that to ensure better discipline and effective leadership, the party has constituted three disciplinary committees at different levels. The Parliamentary Disciplinary Committee includes Sudip Bandopadhyay, Derek O’Brien, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Kalyan Banerjee, and Nadimul Haque.
The State Assembly Disciplinary Committee comprises Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, Nirmal Ghosh, Aroop Biswas, Debashish Kumar, and Firhad Hakim.
At the state level, the disciplinary committee consists of Subrata Bakshi, Aroop Biswas, Sujit Bose, Firhad Hakim, and Chandrima Bhattacharya. “If someone is issued a show-cause notice by any of these committees, he or she has to answer it. If a person gets three such show-cause notices, steps will be taken to suspend him or her,” Bhattacharya told mediapersons after the meeting.
According to party sources, this strategic reshuffle is seen as a move to bring experienced leaders to the forefront, reflecting the party’s recognition of their contributions over the years.
“The new appointments underline the party’s commitment to bringing long-serving members into leadership roles. The prominence of veteran leaders such as Kalyan Banerjee and Manas Bhunia reflects TMC’s effort to retain a balance between experience and youth in its leadership. Additionally, Abhishek Banerjee’s expanded role will help the party navigate the complex political landscape at the national level, as it aims to grow its influence across India,” PTI quoted a senior TMC leader as saying.
The TMC, which won all the six Assembly seats in the last week’s bypoll, has decided to raise issues of price rise, unemployment, North East situation, fertilizers and states’ dues of PMAY and NREGS funds from Centre during the Winter Session of Parliament.
When asked if the party would raise issues like allegations against Gautam Adani and Waqf Amendment Bill, Bhattacharya said, “Our Parliamentary party will decide and raise the issue.”
On Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024, which was passed by the Assembly on September 3 in the aftermath of the rape-murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar hospital, and is yet to become a law, the TMC minister said: “We want the Bill to become an Act immediately. The women’s wing of our party will hit the streets and hold rallies and dharnas on November 30 and December 1. We will also seek time from the President (Droupadi Murmu) where a delegation of women representatives will meet her. We will also seek time from the Governor (CV Ananda Bose).”
To strengthen its grassroots network and deepen its connection with people, the party will launch a new campaign to educate people and TMC workers about the party’s history and its contributions to the state’s political landscape. “There are several youths who are not aware of the party’s history and struggle. So, we have decided to take up an initiative to teach the people about the party’s history and its contributions,” Bhattacharya said.
The party has also decided to launch a campaign christened — ‘Manusher Sathe Aar Manusher Pashe (‘With the People, For the People’), aimed at building stronger engagement with the masses.
The meeting was attended by several senior TMC leaders including Birbhum district unit president Anubrata Mondol, who is facing charges in cow smuggling scam and recently got bail.
The TMC has also decided to strengthen regional representation by making strategic appointments to amplify local voices. Gautam Deb, Udayan Guha, and Prakash Chik Baraik have been tasked with addressing issues in northern West Bengal.
Malay Ghatak will focus on matters related to tea garden workers, while Birbaha Hansda will handle concerns specific to the tribal region of Jhargram. Senior TMC leader and minister Aroop Biswas has been appointed as the coordinator for party spokespersons.
— With PTI inputs