Kolkata, Nov 13 — Former West Bengal Education Minister and ex-Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee will not receive any special privileges during the upcoming Winter Session of the state Assembly later this month, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Assembly insiders said that since Chatterjee was suspended from the Trinamool Congress following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in July 2022 in connection with the school recruitment scam, he will now be treated as an independent legislator.
As a result, his new seat in the House will be placed between the Treasury and Opposition benches, reflecting his current independent status. “He is no longer part of the ruling party or the Opposition. Hence, a neutral seat will be allotted to him accordingly,” a senior official said.
Additionally, Chatterjee will not be provided with a separate office room in the Assembly premises, a privilege he previously enjoyed as a cabinet minister. “He is no more a minister. So he will not be allotted a separate room within the Assembly. He will attend the session like any other MLA and receive the same facilities,” confirmed Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay.
However, the Speaker clarified that Chatterjee retains his rights as an elected member of the Assembly. “Although he was removed from the Cabinet, he was not expelled from the Assembly. He can attend the session and participate in debates. Time will be allotted to him as per the rules,” Bandopadhyay said.
Chatterjee has reportedly expressed his intention to attend the Winter Session and, if possible, take part in discussions on the floor of the House.
The former minister was arrested in July 2022 after the ED recovered large sums of cash and property documents linked to the alleged school-job recruitment scam.
