Will the Bengal Assembly Secretariat Contest the HC’s Ruling on Mukul Roy’s MLA Status?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Legal Appeal: The West Bengal Assembly Secretariat is considering appealing the High Court's ruling.
- Mukul Roy's Controversy: Roy's political affiliations have been contentious, affecting his MLA status.
- Speaker's Role: Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay's decisions are pivotal in this legal matter.
- Political Implications: The outcome may influence the party dynamics in West Bengal.
- Judicial Oversight: The role of the judiciary in political matters is highlighted through this case.
Kolkata, Nov 18 (NationPress) The West Bengal Assembly Secretariat is currently exploring its legal avenues to potentially appeal to the Supreme Court against a recent ruling by a division bench of the Calcutta High Court which invalidated Mukul Roy's membership in the House.
Sources within the Assembly Secretariat have indicated that Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay has begun consulting legal experts regarding possible actions. On Monday, State Advocate General Kishor Datta met with the Speaker in the Assembly.
While neither the Speaker nor the Advocate General disclosed details about their discussions, the meeting has raised speculation about the Assembly's intent to challenge the High Court’s ruling.
The Speaker did not provide further clarity on the next steps, simply stating that he is assessing the situation.
On November 13, the division bench comprising Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Md. Shabbar Rashidi not only annulled Roy's membership but also overturned the earlier decision by the Speaker, which had declined to revoke Roy's status as a member of the State Assembly.
Mukul Roy, a former Trinamool Congress General Secretary, transitioned to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2021 West Bengal elections, successfully winning the Krishnanagar (Uttar) Assembly seat in Nadia district.
However, in a surprising turn of events, he rejoined the Trinamool Congress shortly after the election results were announced, as the party clinched a third consecutive term with a significant majority. Nevertheless, he continued to hold his position as a BJP legislator.
The Speaker dismissed the BJP’s request to revoke Roy's Assembly membership, asserting that since he was officially a BJP nominee, his membership could not be annulled.
Consequently, the BJP sought intervention from the Calcutta High Court to annul Roy's membership as a legislator representing the Krishnanagar (Uttar) Assembly constituency.
After a lengthy hearing, the Calcutta High Court's division bench ultimately ruled on November 13 to invalidate Roy's membership.