Key Points
TMC flags 50 MLAs for ignoring party whip
Sorting done between justified and unjustified absences
Action likely delayed due to Eid
Only 10 MLAs had valid reasons for absence
A decision on them will be taken by the party leadership only after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee returns to Kolkata from her UK trip on Friday night.
Party insiders said that sorting has been done among the 50 party legislators -- those who were absent during the proceedings of the House on March 20 without prior intimation or justifiable reasons against those who remained absent after proper intimation or justifiable reasons.
The sorting procedure, party insiders said, has been completed after getting the details from the office of the Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay about those legislators who gave prior intimation about their absence citing justifiable reasons.
“After evaluating the details provided by the Speaker’s office, it has come to notice that only 10 legislators, including two members of the state cabinet, had given prior intimation with justifiable reason about their absence on March 20,” said a member of the state cabinet aware of the development.
Initially, it was decided that the next meeting of the disciplinary committee would be on March 29, when the decision on such erring legislators will be taken. However, party insiders said that there is a high possibility that the date of the meeting will be postponed because of the Eid festival at the beginning of next week.
"In all probability now, the next meeting of the disciplinary committee will take place either on April 1 or a day after, and by then, the Chief Minister will also be back from her England trip. The disciplinary committee members are also in favour of taking any decision regarding disciplinary action against the erring legislators when the Chief Minister will be in the city,” the member of the state cabinet said.
To recall, Trinamool Congress issued a whip for the party legislators for 100 per cent attendance on the last two days of the second phase of the budget session, March 19 and March 20. While the presence was almost 100 per cent on March 19, over 50 party legislators remained absent on March 20 ignoring the party whip.
The party leadership took the matter quite seriously. Now it is to be seen whether the erring legislators will be relieved with a note of caution or some disciplinary action will be initiated against them.
Last week, the MLA from the Bhagalpur Assembly constituency in the Murshidabad district had to face the disciplinary committee for his alleged objectionable comments made about the Leader of Opposition in the House, Suvendu Adhikari.
However, instead of recommending any disciplinary action against him, he was just cautioned to be careful and refrain from making any such comments in the future.
