Judge hearing Nandigram poll verdict plea close to BJP: TMC

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged on Friday that a Calcutta high court judge hearing West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s petition challenging her loss in Nandigram shared a stage with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, prompting her counsel to request the acting chief justice to reassign the high-profile case.

Justice Kausik Chanda deferred the hearing of the petition, which contested BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s win in Nandigram, to next Thursday as BJP leaders criticised Banerjee. Separately, the TMC filed four more petitions in the high court against losses by party candidates in close contests during the state elections.

TMC leaders alleged that Chanda shared a dais with BJP leaders, including state unit chief Dilip Ghosh, in the past and also represented the party in various cases. Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien shared pictures where justice Chanda could be purportedly seen sitting next to BJP leaders.

Hours later, Banerjee’s advocate Sanjay Basu sent a letter to acting chief justice Rajesh Bindal, requesting him to reassign the petition to another judge. “I on behalf of my client (Banerjee), humbly beseech you to forthwith place this letter before the acting chief justice for necessary reassignment of election petition so as to avoid any prejudice and/or presumption of any prejudice against my client,” said the letter sent to Bindal’s secretary.

Basu, in the letter, alleged that justice Chanda was an active BJP member and that Banerjee recently objected when chief justice sought her opinion on confirming justice Chanda as a permanent judge. “My client apprehends that the judge is aware of her objections and as such my client reasonably apprehends that there is a likelihood of bias,” it read. The registrar general of Calcutta high court refused to comment when contacted over phone. There was no response on email either. Justice Chanda was not available for comment.

Ghosh admitted that he shared a stage with justice Chanda but said the judiciary needed to 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,” he said.

The BJP accused Banerjee of maligning the judiciary. “If there was some substance in the case then the TMC wouldn’t have raised all these points. The TMC doesn’t abide by any court, law and Constitution. That is why they are...trying to malign the legal system. They are actually afraid of losing the legal battle,” said Rahul Sinha, senior BJP leader.

A section of lawyers also staged a silent protest in the court premises before the matter was heard by justice Chanda around 11 am.

In her petition, Banerjee alleged voting irregularities in her narrow loss by 1,956 votes to her protégé-turned-adversary Adhikari, who went on to become the leader of Opposition in the assembly. Banerjee led the TMC to power for a third consecutive term but lost her own seat, her first electoral loss in 32 years. Shortly after the results were announced on May 2, TMC had demanded a recount but the request was turned down by the Election Commission.

Separately, the high court took up four petitions by TMC candidates who lost to BJP nominees in Goghat, Balarampur, Bangaon Dakshin and Moyna constituencies. The pleas were heard before four different benches of the high court. TMC candidate Manas Majumdar challenged BJP’s Biswanath Karak’s victory from Goghat. TMC’s Shantiram Mahato’s challenged BJP’s Baneswar Mahato’s victory from Balarampur . TMC candidate Alo Rani Sarkar challenged the election of BJP’s Swapan Majumdar from Bangaon Dakshin. TMC candidate Sangram Kumar Dolai challenged the election of BJP’s Ashoke Dinda from Moyna.

(with agency inputs)