Mamata's counsel seeks reassignment of election petition against Suvendu to another bench
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's counsel Friday wrote to the secretary of the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, seeking reassignment of her petition challenging the election of BJP's Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram, to another bench.
Alleging that Justice Kaushik Chanda, who is hearing Banerjee's plea, "was an active member of the BJP", the letter said that since the adjudication of the election petition will have political ramifications, the matter should be assigned to another judge by the Acting Chief Justice, who is a master of the roster.
The CM's lawyer also stated in the letter that she "had objected to the confirmation of the Hon'ble Judge as a Permanent Judge of the Hon'ble High Court at Calcutta" and, as such, apprehends there is a likelihood of bias on the part of the judge concerned.
Banerjee's counsel urged that the letter be placed before the Acting Chief Justice forthwith "for necessary reassignment of Election Petition so as to avoid any prejudice and/or presumption of prejudice".
Justice Chanda earlier in the day adjourned till June 24 Banerjee's petition for declaring the election of Suvendu Adhikari, at present the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, from Nandigram null and void.
Meanwhile, the ruling TMC, on its official Twitter handle, shared a purported photograph of Chanda sharing the dais with state BJP president Dilip Ghosh.
PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the picture.
TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said the judge should be shifted from the case.
The party's Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra, too, tweeted on the issue.
The BJP, however, said the judiciary should be respected.
"I share the stage with a lot of people. What is the harm if he had shared the dais with us when he was a lawyer? Now, he is a judge. We should respect the judiciary," Ghosh said.
A section of lawyers also staged a protest in front of the high court over Justice Chanda being assigned to hear the election petition by the Trinamool Congress supremo.
"We have no personal ill-feeling or allegation against the judge, but he was associated with a particular political party," one of the lawyers said.
The judge should recuse himself from hearing Banerjee's plea, he added.
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Swearing-in ceremony of new Assam govt to be held on May 12
Guwahati (PTI): The swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected BJP-led NDA government in Assam will be held on May 12, Chief Secretary Ravi Kota said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several union ministers, chief ministers and deputy CMs of BJP-ruled states, and representatives from industries are expected to attend the function.
The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Veterinary Field, Khanapara, he said.
“Chaired a comprehensive review meeting with the DGP, Assam today to assess preparedness for the forthcoming visit of the Hon’ble Prime Minister to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected Council of Ministers”, Kota posted on X on Wednesday night.
Arrangements related to security, traffic management, venue readiness, protocol, and inter-departmental coordination were discussed in detail, he said.
''Emphasised the need for seamless execution, strict adherence to established protocols, and close coordination among all stakeholders," Kota said.
All departments concerned have been directed to maintain the highest level of preparedness to ensure the ceremony is conducted smoothly, securely, and in a manner befitting the significance of the occasion, he said.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tendered his resignation to Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, who asked him to continue as the head of the caretaker government.
Union minister J P Nadda and Naib Singh Saini have been appointed as the observer and co-observer, respectively, for the election of the BJP Legislature party leader, which is likely to be held on May 10.
The ruling NDA returned to power for the third successive term, securing 102 of the 126 assembly seats in the state with the BJP winning 82 constituencies and its allies - the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) - bagging 10 each.
