TMC meet to discuss organisational reshuffle, Parliament winter session strategy on Monday

PTI, KOLKATA, NOV 22, 2024 : Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has convened a meeting of the TMC's national executive committee at her residence on Monday, in which organisational changes, strategies for the upcoming winter session of Parliament, and other key issues like the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill are likely to be discussed, party sources said. TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, party's Leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Sougata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, state president Subrata Bakshi, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim and other senior leaders are expected to attend the meeting.

The national executive committee, originally a 21-member body, now consists of around 16 members following the arrest of several senior leaders by central agencies in various cases and the resignation of others citing health concerns.

“In the meeting, our strategy for the winter session and other organisational issues will be discussed,” a senior member of the TMC’s national executive committee said. Party insiders believe that long-pending organisational reshuffles will be finalised during this meeting.

Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s de facto number two, has submitted a proposal for organisational changes at various levels, which will be reviewed and possibly ratified by Mamata Banerjee. The meeting coincides with the commencement of the winter sessions of both the West Bengal Assembly and the Lok Sabha.

TMC sources suggest that the party's stance on the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill will also be discussed. The Waqf Bill, introduced by the Union government, has stirred debates nationwide. Opposition members in Parliament have demanded further deliberations, while TMC is considering its approach to this issue both in the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly. Mamata Banerjee is expected to provide clear directives to TMC legislators and parliamentarians on their roles during the winter sessions.

The party’s strategy for the Waqf Bill and other matters of national and state interest will also likely be finalised. This meeting is seen as a prelude to TMC’s broader political strategy for the 2026 Assembly elections, with a focus on addressing organisational gaps and reinforcing the party’s leadership at various levels.