5 Panels get new chiefs; TMC loses 2 posts

New Delhi: Chairpersons of five parliamentary standing committees were changed on Saturday, with the Trinamool Congress losing the chairpersonship of two key panels and a rebel faction leader getting one, as Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reconstituted the department-related standing committees.

BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi has been appointed chairperson of the Commerce Committee, replacing TMC's Dola Sen, while Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who is with the rebel faction of the West Bengal-based party, has replaced former TMC colleague Kirti Azad as head of the Chemicals and Fertilisers Committee.

The Law and Justice Committee will now be headed by BJP's Sujeet Kumar, replacing party colleague Brij Lal, whose Rajya Sabha term is ending.


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Two other panels - Labour and Railways - also got new chiefs. BJP's Shashank Mani Tripathi replaces Basavaraj Bommai as chairperson of the Labour Committee, while Sudhir Gupta succeeds C M Ramesh as head of the Railways Committee.

The reshuffle, however, saw several opposition leaders retain their committee chairmanships. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor will continue to head the External Affairs Committee, while party colleague Charanjit Singh Channi retains the Agriculture Committee. Mukul Wasnik will continue as chairperson of the Education, Women, Children and Youth Committee.

The DMK also retained its two key panel posts, with Tiruchi Siva continuing as chairperson of the Industry Committee and K Kanimozhi heading the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Committee.