AMN / New Delhi
In a surprise move, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has appointed party general secretary and her apparent political heir, Abhishek Banerjee, as the Leader of the Party in the Lok Sabha. He replaces veteran MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay.
Bandyopadhyay, who had led the party in the 17th Lok Sabha and was reappointed in the 18th Lok Sabha, has been absent from recent parliamentary sessions due to ill health. He did not attend the last session and has yet to appear in the ongoing Monsoon Session.
The leadership change was decided during an online meeting chaired by Mamata Banerjee, which included senior party leaders from both Houses of Parliament.
According to political analysts, this shift is a strong message to the party’s old guard, indicating a trust deficit in the current leadership and signaling a generational transition within the TMC.
With assembly elections scheduled in West Bengal next year, the party’s performance in the Lok Sabha is expected to play a critical role in shaping the political narrative in the state.