Ministers join protest in support of two newly-elected MLAs
The BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh, who is also the chief whip of the party in the Assembly, has already written to Mr Bandyopadhyay seeking his permission for their programme on Monday.
Two newly-elected Trinamul Congress MLAs, Sayantika Banerjee and Rayat Hossain from Baranagar and Bhagwangola constituencies respectively, on Wednesday staged dharna at the Assembly demanding the Governor C V Ananda Bose to administer their oath-taking ceremony at the House instead of Raj Bhavan.
On the other hand, Mr Bose stuck to his earlier decision to administer the swearing-in ceremony of the two MLAs at Raj Bhavan instead of the Legislative Assembly, making the process more complicated, political observers felt.
Sources at the Governor House said that Mr Bose might leave for Delhi leading the ceremony virtually uncertain even 22 days after the announcement of results of the by-polls in the two Assemblies were out on 4 June.
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Today, Miss Bandyopadhyay and Mr Hossain staged a sit-in carrying placards requesting Mr Bose to come to the Assembly to administer their oaths.
“Waiting for the arrival of Hon. Governor for oath,” the two newly-elected MLAs requested Mr Bose through the placards.
Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, state parliamentary affairs minister, also joined the two MLAs in their protest.
Biman Bandyopadhyay, Assembly Speaker, told reporters, “I would seek opinions of legal experts to solve the crisis. I may also meet the President. The Speaker can administer the oath of a MLA elected through a by-poll for an interim period at the Assembly.”
Both Miss Bandyopadhyay and Mr Hossain stick to their earlier stand of taking oath from the Speaker at the Assembly and not from the Governor. But the Governor wanted them to take oath at Raj Bhavan today.
Mr Bose had written a letter to Miss Banerjee on Tuesday citing the verdict of the Supreme Court and high court in connection with the swear-in ceremony of MLAs.
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