Will Bengal Assembly Secretariat Challenge Calcutta HC's Ruling on Mukul Roy?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- West Bengal Assembly Secretariat will not appeal the Calcutta HC's ruling.
- The Calcutta High Court annulled Mukul Roy's Assembly membership.
- Upcoming elections may influence political strategies in West Bengal.
- Mukul Roy has a complex political history with both the Trinamool Congress and BJP.
- The ruling emphasizes the legal implications of political memberships.
Kolkata, Dec 18 (NationPress) The West Bengal Assembly Secretariat announced on Thursday that it will not contest the decision made by a division bench of the Calcutta High Court last month, which invalidated the membership of Mukul Roy within the state Assembly.
This resolution was reached after consulting legal experts who recommended against appealing the Calcutta High Court's ruling to the Supreme Court.
In affirming this decision, West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay stated to reporters on Thursday that since Mukul Roy's son, Subhrangshu Roy, a former member of the West Bengal Assembly, was involved in the case at the Calcutta High Court, the responsibility to challenge the court's ruling should rest with him.
"Therefore, the State Assembly Secretariat will refrain from taking any action in this regard," the Assembly Speaker clarified.
On November 13, the Calcutta High Court's division bench, comprising Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Md. Shabbar Rashidi, annulled Mukul Roy's membership in the House.
The bench also overturned the earlier decision made by Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay, which had refused to revoke Roy's membership from the state Assembly.
However, with the crucial Assembly elections approaching next year, there will be no by-election in the Krishnanagar (Uttar) Assembly constituency during this interim period.
Mukul Roy, previously the Trinamool Congress General Secretary, switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before the 2021 West Bengal elections and successfully ran as a BJP candidate in the Krishnanagar (Uttar) Assembly constituency in Nadia district.
Shortly after the Assembly poll results were announced, which saw the Trinamool Congress secure a substantial majority for a third consecutive term, he rejoined the Trinamool Congress.
Despite this, he did not resign from the State Assembly and continued to officially act as a BJP legislator.
Assembly Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay rejected the BJP's request for Mukul Roy's membership to be canceled.
The Speaker asserted that as Roy was officially a BJP candidate, his membership could not be annulled.
Roy was appointed as the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House, a position typically allocated to a member from the principal opposition party.
Following this, the BJP sought the Calcutta High Court's intervention to revoke Roy's membership as a legislator from the Krishnanagar (Uttar) Assembly constituency.
After an extensive hearing, the Calcutta High Court's division bench, led by Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Md. Shabbar Rashidi, ultimately annulled Roy's membership from the House.