The internal disciplinary committee of the Trinamool Congress legislative party in the West Bengal Assembly has compiled a list of around 50 legislators who were absent on the final day of the second phase of the budget session, despite a party whip mandating their presence.
A final decision regarding these legislators will only be made once Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee returns to Kolkata from her visit to the UK on Friday night.
According to party sources, the committee has classified the absentee legislators into two groups—those who missed the session without prior notice or valid justification and those who had informed the Speaker’s office beforehand with legitimate reasons.
After reviewing attendance records from Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay’s office, it was found that only 10 lawmakers, including two cabinet ministers, had formally communicated their absence with valid explanations.
“The Speaker’s office provided us with details regarding the absences, and after careful assessment, it was observed that only 10 MLAs had informed us in advance with justifiable reasons for missing the session on March 20,” said a senior state cabinet member familiar with the matter.
Initially, the disciplinary committee had planned to convene on March 29 to decide on any action against the absentees. However, due to the upcoming Eid celebrations early next week, the meeting is now likely to be rescheduled.
“In all likelihood, the meeting will be pushed to April 1 or later. By then, the Chief Minister will have returned from her trip to England. The committee members are keen on making any disciplinary decisions in her presence,” the cabinet member added.
The Trinamool Congress had issued a strict attendance mandate for all party legislators on March 19 and 20, the final two days of the budget session’s second phase. While March 19 saw nearly full attendance, over 50 legislators failed to show up on March 20, disregarding the party whip.
The leadership has taken this breach seriously, and it remains to be seen whether the absent MLAs will receive a mere warning or face disciplinary consequences.
Notably, last week, the MLA from the Bhagalpur constituency in Murshidabad was summoned by the disciplinary committee over controversial remarks he made against Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. However, instead of facing punitive action, he was issued a caution and advised to exercise restraint in the future.
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