Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar replaces Kalyan Banerjee as TMC's chief whip in Lok Sabha
Kolkata, Aug 5 (PTI): The TMC on Tuesday appointed Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as its new chief whip in the Lok Sabha, and actor-turned-politician Satabdi Roy as its deputy leader in the House.
Ghosh Dastidar replaced Serampore MP Kalyan Banerjee, who resigned from the post on Monday following a string of run-ins with party colleague Mahua Moitra, who represents Krishnanagar in Lok Sabha.
"Shri Kalyan Banerjee submitted his resignation yesterday to the Chairperson from the post of Chief Whip of the @AITCofficial Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha. The Chairperson has accepted his resignation and thanked him for his contributions in that role," the TMC said in a post on X.
"In consultation with senior parliamentarians, the Chairperson has nominated Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as the new Chief Whip of the @AITCofficial in the Lok Sabha and Smt. Satabdi Roy as the new Deputy Leader of the AITC in the Lok Sabha with immediate effect," it added.
Moitra was among the first TMC leaders to congratulate Ghosh Dastidar and Roy for their new roles.
"Heartfelt congratulations to my senior colleagues @kakoligdastidar & @SatabdiRoyMP for being nominated Chief Whip & Deputy Leader of AITC in Lok Sabha. God bless & shine on!" she posted on X.
Banerjee vented out his frustration on public platforms on Monday, holding absentee TMC parliamentarians responsible for the "lack of coordination among party MPs in Lok Sabha" that led to his resignation. But, he satirically justified his relinquishing the role of chief whip, stating that he must have been solely responsible for the situation.
He, however, took to social media to thank TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee for accepting his resignation.
"To The Chairperson, Thanks for accepting my resignation. Regards. Kalyan Banerjee," he posted on X, tagging his party and the West Bengal CM in the post.
The TMC had on Monday appointed its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee as its leader in Lok Sabha. Roy, the MP of Birbhum, will assist him in his new role.
Both Ghosh Dastidar and Roy are four-time MPs.
Continuing his criticism of Moitra, Kalyan Banerjee said that in 2023, he stood by her when she was "under fire in Parliament".
"I did so out of conviction, not compulsion. Today, she repays that support by calling me a misogynist. I owe the nation an apology for having defended someone who clearly lacks basic gratitude. Let people see her words for what they are and judge accordingly," he posted on X earlier in the day, tagging both the Congress and BJP, besides the TMC.
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Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
