Partha Chatterjee Gets Assembly Committee Roles After Bail

MP, 4 FEB 2026, KOLKATA: Former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee has been assigned new responsibilities in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. An official notification circulated ahead of the Budget Session shows that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA from Behala West has been inducted into the Library Committee and the Standing Committee on Housing, Fire and Emergency Services, and Disaster Management. The order states that these appointments have been effective from December 11, 2025.

Assembly rules require every elected member to serve on at least two parliamentary committees. Sources indicated that the Speaker’s decision to include the former minister was in line with established legislative procedure, rather than any special consideration, as Chatterjee remains a sitting MLA.

In July 2022, Chatterjee was removed from his ministerial posts and party positions following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the school recruitment scam. He was released on bail on November 11, 2025, after spending more than three years in custody.

The Budget Session began on Tuesday with obituary references, although Chatterjee was absent on the opening day despite having previously expressed his willingness to attend. Speaker Biman Banerjee has earmarked a seat for him among the general benches. While he had earlier occupied the front rows as a minister, Chatterjee will now sit further back as an ordinary member.

The session opened under Speaker Biman Banerjee with obituary references to departed legislators and eminent personalities. Tributes were paid to Ajit Pawar, Acting Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra; Begum Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh; Arghya Sen, Rabindra Sangeet exponent; and Dharmendra, veteran actor and former MP. Members observed a minute’s silence before the House was adjourned till 1:15 pm on Thursday.