Is Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar Set to Become the New Permanent Chief Whip of Trinamool's Parliamentary Team in LS?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar is a seasoned politician.
- Her potential appointment reflects party dynamics.
- Kalyan Banerjee's resignation highlights leadership challenges.
- Coordination among party members is crucial.
- Ghosh Dastidar's experience enhances her candidacy.
Kolkata, Aug 4 (NationPress) Veteran party member and four-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha representative Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar is emerging as the leading candidate for the position of new chief whip for the Trinamool Congress’ Parliamentary team in the Lok Sabha. The position became vacant on Monday due to the resignation of esteemed party member Kalyan Banerjee.
Banerjee declared his resignation during a virtual meeting led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday afternoon, which included all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members of the Trinamool Congress.
A party source indicated that Ghosh Dastidar has been one of the most senior and long-serving Lok Sabha members of the Trinamool Congress since 2009.
“During the virtual meeting, Sudip Bandopadhyay was replaced by the party’s general secretary Abhishek Banerjee as the leader of the Trinamool Congress’ Parliamentary party in the Lok Sabha due to Bandopadhyay’s health issues. Saugata Roy, another veteran member, is also dealing with age-related health concerns. With Kalyan Banerjee’s resignation, Ghosh Dastidar naturally emerges as the preferred choice for the new Permanent Chief Whip,” mentioned a senior leader and Lok Sabha member of the Trinamool Congress, who requested anonymity.
While actress-turned-politician and party Lok Sabha member from Birbhum constituency, Satabdi Roy, is also a four-time member since 2009, she has not been regarded as a seasoned politician like Bandopadhyay, Roy, Banerjee, and Ghosh Dastidar.
“In many respects, Ghosh Dastidar has more seniority since she has been aligned with Mamata Banerjee since the founding of the Trinamool Congress on January 1, 1998.
Upon announcing his resignation as the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha, Banerjee informed the media that his decision was influenced by a moral obligation after the Chief Minister expressed dissatisfaction during the virtual meeting regarding the lack of coordination among party MPs on the floor of the house.
Kalyan Banerjee had faced criticism from party leadership, including the Chief Minister, over a recent conflict with fellow party Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra regarding comments made by Banerjee concerning the rape of a law college student at the college premises in Kasba, south Kolkata.
Banerjee even resorted to personal attacks against Moitra regarding her recent marriage to a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, and former Lok Sabha member from Puri constituency in Odisha, Pinaki Misra.