Kumar Bahukhandi
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, who has replaced Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen as chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Commerce following the reconstitution of department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees on Saturday, October 3, 2026. Photo: Parliament TV
Sudhanshu Trivedi takes charge of Commerce panel; several BJP, Congress, DMK and NDA ally leaders retain important Parliamentary committee positions
Key Highlights
- BJP’s Sudhanshu Trivedi replaces TMC’s Dola Sen as chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Commerce.
- Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar replaces Kirti Azad as chairperson of the Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers.
- Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Charanjit Singh Channi retain the External Affairs and Agriculture committees respectively.
- DMK MPs Tiruchi Siva and K. Kanimozhi continue to head the Industry and Consumer Affairs panels.
- Leaders of key BJP allies, including the JD(U), Shiv Sena and TDP, continue to head different Parliamentary committees.
- BJP retains leadership of several important panels, including Defence, Finance, Home Affairs and Communications and Information Technology.
New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress has lost the chairmanship of two key Parliamentary panels following the reconstitution of various department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reconstituted the committees, bringing changes to the leadership of some panels while retaining several prominent MPs from both the ruling alliance and Opposition in their existing positions.
One of the notable changes is in the Parliamentary Committee on Commerce, where BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi has been appointed chairperson, replacing TMC MP Dola Sen.
In another change affecting the TMC, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has replaced Kirti Azad as chairperson of the Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers.
The reconstitution, however, has largely maintained continuity across several other important committees.
DMK MPs Tiruchi Siva and K. Kanimozhi have been reappointed chairpersons of the Parliamentary Committee on Industry and the Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution respectively.
Several prominent Opposition MPs have also retained their positions.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor will continue as chairperson of the Committee on External Affairs, while former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi retains charge of the Committee on Agriculture.
Congress leader Mukul Wasnik has been retained as chairperson of the Parliamentary panel dealing with Education, Women, Children and Youth.
Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav will continue to head the Committee on Health and Family Welfare.
The reconstitution also maintains committee leadership positions for representatives of some of the BJP’s key NDA allies.
JD(U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha has been reappointed chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, while Shiv Sena MP Shrirang Barne continues as chairperson of the Committee on Energy. Leaders of the TDP have also been retained at the helm of different Parliamentary committees.
Within the BJP, several senior leaders continue to hold significant committee responsibilities.
Radha Mohan Singh will head the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, while Bhartruhari Mahtab continues as chairperson of the Committee on Finance.
BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Agrawal has been retained as chairperson of the Committee on Home Affairs, while Nishikant Dubey continues to head the Committee on Communications and Information Technology.
Former Union minister Anurag Thakur has been reappointed chairperson of the Committee on Coal, Mines and Steel, while BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy retains charge of the Committee on Water Resources.
Maharashtra BJP MP Medha Vishram Kulkarni has also been retained as chairperson of the Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
There are some changes within the BJP’s share of committee leadership as well.
Sujeet Kumar has replaced party MP Brij Lal as chairperson of the Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice.
Similarly, BJP MP Sudheer Gupta has replaced C.M. Ramesh as chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Railways.
Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, meanwhile, has been reappointed chairperson of the Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.
The latest reconstitution therefore presents a combination of continuity and selective changes across Parliament’s committee system. While several senior MPs from the BJP, its NDA allies and Opposition parties continue in their existing positions, the changes in the Commerce and Chemicals and Fertilisers panels mean the Trinamool Congress has lost the two chairmanships highlighted in the latest reshuffle.
Parliamentary Standing Committees perform an important scrutiny function by examining the work of ministries and departments, considering demands for grants and legislation referred to them, and presenting reports to Parliament.
