New Delhi : The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which is the fourth largest party in Lok Sabha and third biggest in Rajya Sabha, is set to nominate Kirti Azad and Dola Sen as chairpersons of standing committees, people aware of the matter said on Thursday. Azad, a Lok Sabha member, is likely to head the chemical and fertilizers committee and Sen the commerce and industries panel.
The party’s floor leaders—Sudip Bandopadhyay (Lok Sabha) and Derek O’Brien (Rajya) Sabha—headed the two panels previously. A TMC leader said the move to nominate Azad and Sen indicates the party wants to reward senior lawmakers and prevent centralisation of power.
Azad, a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker, won on a TMC ticket for the first time this year. Sen has been a key TMC Rajya Sabha member.
Bandopadhyay, who led the consumer affairs, food and public distribution committee, will remain a member of the panel. O’Brien headed the transport, tourism and culture committee.
TMC lawmaker Mahua Moitra was expected to remain in the information technology panel. Congress leader KC Venugopal is likely to be a member of the transport and tourism panel.Former Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb was expected to be a member of the science and technology committee. The standing committees are expected to be announced by Friday.
The Congress is set to head four parliamentary standing committees including on external affairs and education. It might also head the panels on agriculture and rural development. The lawmakers of Congress, which has 98 lawmakers in the Lok Sabha and 27 in the Rajya Sabha, last time chaired environment, commerce and chemicals and fertilizers panel.
A Congress leader said the party has asked for the chairmanship of the health panel but the government has indicated that it would possibly go to another Opposition party. Samajwadi Party (SP) has held the post.
SP, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Janata Dal (United) and Telugu Desam Party are expected to head one panel each. The BJP, which is likely to chair at least 14 of the 24 panels, has indicated it might accommodate some of the ex-chief ministers in the Union council of ministers.
