Two Mamata-faction TMC MPs ousted from Parliamentary Standing Committees
Synopsis
The fallout from Trinamool Congress's post-election trifurcation has reached Parliament's committee rooms. Two prominent Mamata Banerjee loyalists — Kirti Azad and Dola Sen — have been stripped of key Standing Committee chairmanships and replaced by NDA-aligned members, underscoring how the faction's collapse from 28 to just 8 loyal MPs is now costing it real legislative power.
Key Takeaways
Kirti Azad (TMC, Bardhaman-Durgapur) was removed as chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers on 3 October 2026 .
Dola Sen (TMC Rajya Sabha) was removed as chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce and Industries .
Azad was replaced by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar (NCPI/NDA), a four-time MP from Barasat ; Sen was replaced by BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi .
Both removals stem from TMC's post-election split: 20 of 28 TMC Lok Sabha MPs defected to NCPI and joined the NDA , leaving Mamata Banerjee with only 8 loyal MPs .
In the West Bengal Assembly , expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee leads the majority breakaway bloc and has been named Leader of the Opposition .
Two Lok Sabha members from the 'original but minority' faction of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) — led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — were removed on Wednesday, 3 October 2026 from their positions as chairpersons of two key Parliamentary Standing Committees. The development marks a fresh blow to the Banerjee camp as its diminished parliamentary footprint continues to cost it institutional influence.
Who Was Removed and Who Replaced Them
Cricketer-turned-politician Kirti Azad, the TMC Lok Sabha member from the Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency in West Burdwan district of West Bengal, was stripped of his chairmanship of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers. Azad is among those who have maintained allegiance to Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
He was replaced by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a four-time Lok Sabha member from Barasat constituency in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Ghosh Dastidar is a leading figure in the bloc of 20 former TMC Lok Sabha members who broke away from the party, joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), and subsequently became partners in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Separately, Dola Sen, a Rajya Sabha member and another prominent face of the Mamata Banerjee camp, lost her position as chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce and Industries. Sen was replaced by the BJP's Rajya Sabha member Sudhanshu Trivedi.
The Fracture Within Trinamool Congress
The removals are a direct consequence of the seismic split that reshaped Trinamool Congress following the West Bengal Assembly elections earlier this year. The party effectively trifurcated in the polls' aftermath. The faction led by Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee now commands only eight of the original 28 TMC Lok Sabha members, making it the minority grouping in Parliament.
The remaining 20 TMC MPs defected to the NCPI, aligning themselves with the BJP-led NDA — a coalition that now holds the balance of institutional power, including the allocation of committee chairmanships.
Assembly-Level Fallout
The turmoil extends beyond Parliament. In the West Bengal Assembly, the faction led by expelled party legislator Ritabrata Banerjee emerged as the majority bloc. Ritabrata Banerjee has been officially named the Leader of the Opposition in the state House, a designation that further sidelines the Mamata-led grouping even in its home state.
What This Signals Going Forward
The removal of two Standing Committee heads in a single move signals a systematic redistribution of parliamentary influence away from the Mamata camp. Committee chairmanships are among the most consequential positions a party can hold in Parliament, providing legislative leverage, oversight power, and public platform. As the NDA consolidates its allies — including the newly affiliated NCPI bloc — the Mamata faction's ability to shape policy from within Parliament's committee system appears increasingly limited. Further reconstitutions of other panels cannot be ruled out.
Point of View
Reduced from 28 to 8 Lok Sabha members, is now paying the institutional price for that haemorrhage in real time. What makes this particularly pointed is that these committee positions were among the last remaining levers of federal influence the Banerjee camp held; without them, the faction's ability to shape legislation, extract accountability from ministries, or maintain a national profile shrinks sharply. The deeper question is whether this marks the beginning of the end of Mamata Banerjee's relevance as a national opposition figure, or merely a nadir before a future realignment.
NationPress
3 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were Kirti Azad and Dola Sen removed from Parliamentary Standing Committees?
They were removed because the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of Trinamool Congress, to which both belong, became a minority grouping in Parliament after 20 of its 28 Lok Sabha members defected to the NCPI and joined the BJP-led NDA. The NDA's expanded strength allowed it to reassign these committee chairmanships to its own allies.
Who replaced Kirti Azad and Dola Sen as committee chairs?
Kirti Azad was replaced by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a four-time Lok Sabha member from Barasat and a leading figure in the NCPI-NDA bloc. Dola Sen was replaced by BJP Rajya Sabha member Sudhanshu Trivedi.
What happened to Trinamool Congress after the West Bengal Assembly elections?
Trinamool Congress effectively trifurcated after the West Bengal Assembly elections earlier in 2026. The faction led by Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee retained only 8 of 28 Lok Sabha members, while 20 others joined the NCPI and aligned with the NDA. A separate faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee became the majority bloc in the state Assembly.
What is the NCPI and how is it connected to the TMC split?
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) is a political party that 20 former Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha members joined after breaking away from the TMC. The NCPI subsequently became a partner in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), giving it access to institutional positions such as Parliamentary Standing Committee chairmanships.
Who is Ritabrata Banerjee and what role does he play in the TMC split?
Ritabrata Banerjee is a former TMC legislator who was expelled from the party and went on to lead the majority breakaway faction in the West Bengal Assembly. He has been officially designated the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, a position that further marginalises the Mamata Banerjee-led grouping even within the state.
