IndiaPosted at: Oct 3 2026 10:18PM


O'Brien protests AITC's exclusion from Rajya Sabha panel chairmanships

New Delhi, Oct 3 (UNI) All India Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien has protested the party's exclusion from the chairpersonship of any of the eight Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees under the Upper House for 2026-27, arguing that the decision raises wider questions about the functioning of Parliament and its scrutiny mechanisms.
In a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan dated October 3, O'Brien referred to Parliamentary Bulletin II No. 66795 announcing the reconstitution of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees for 2026-27.
He pointed out that the AITC had held the chairpersonship of a committee in both 2024-25 and 2025-26, but had now been denied the chairmanship of any of the eight committees under the jurisdiction of the Rajya Sabha.
"In Rajya Sabha, the BJP is the largest party, followed by the INC (second largest) and AITC (third largest). And yet, the Chairpersonship, which we held in 2024-25 and 2025-26, has been taken away," O'Brien said.
He said the development was not an isolated instance, recalling that the AITC had also been denied a committee chairpersonship in 2019 despite being the third-largest party in the Rajya Sabha at the time. "That was rectified a few years later and now it is back to square one," he said.
O'Brien linked the issue to what he described as a broader weakening of parliamentary scrutiny.
"Indeed, for the above, and many other reasons, it must be said that Parliament is being turned into
a deep, dark chamber," he wrote.
The AITC leader cited several indicators to make his case, including the declining proportion of Bills referred to parliamentary committees.
He claimed that between 2004 and 2009, six out of every 10 Bills were sent to committees for scrutiny, compared with two out of 10 between 2019 and 2024.
Independent parliamentary research has also documented a substantial decline in the proportion of Bills referred to committees over successive Lok Sabhas, although the figures vary according to the period and methodology used.
Data from independent research shows that 60 per cent of Bills introduced during the 14th Lok Sabha were referred to committees, compared with 71 per cent during the 15th Lok Sabha, 25 per cent during the 16th Lok Sabha and 16 per cent during the 17th Lok Sabha.
In the 18th Lok Sabha, 21 per cent of Bills had been referred to committees up to the Monsoon Session of 2026.
O'Brien also raised the issue of Ordinances, claiming that four out of every 10 Bills passed now originate as Ordinances, compared with two out of 10 two decades ago.
He further pointed to the declining number of sitting days of Parliament. Referring to successive Lok Sabhas, O'Brien said the First Lok Sabha sat for an average of 45 days per session, while the Second and Third Lok Sabhas averaged 36 days. By comparison, he said, the average during the 17th Lok Sabha was 18 days per session.
Independent parliamentary research, using a different measure, records that the 17th Lok Sabha had the fewest sittings among full-term Lok Sabhas, with 274 sittings over its five-year term, averaging about 55 sitting days a year. Eleven of its 15 sessions were adjourned ahead of their scheduled conclusion.
O'Brien's fourth concern was the continued vacancy in the office of Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha. The post has remained vacant since 2019. The 17th Lok Sabha completed its full five-year term without electing a Deputy Speaker, while the 18th Lok Sabha had also not elected one as of the latest parliamentary data available through 2026.
Article 93 of the Constitution provides that the Lok Sabha shall, "as soon as may be", choose two members of the House to be Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
The dispute over committee chairpersonships comes against the backdrop of the important role played by parliamentary committees in examining legislation, government policies, expenditure and administrative functioning. Committees allow MPs to undertake detailed scrutiny of Bills and other matters beyond the limited time available for floor debates and can also facilitate consultations with experts and stakeholders.
O'Brien's intervention therefore goes beyond the allocation of a particular committee chairpersonship and raises a broader question about the participation of Opposition parties in parliamentary oversight.
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