Congress MLAs in WB to face action

KOLKATA: Hasim Abdul Halim, speaker, West Bengal Legislative Assembly will meet two sitting Congress MLAs, Somen Mitra and Sudip Banerjee on Friday, to know why steps will not be taken against them under the anti-defection rules.

Both have defected and are facing charges under the anti-defection rules, since they have left the Congress, on whose ticket, they had got elected to the state Assembly in 2006 on Congress tickets. Sudip Banerjee has rejoined Trinamool Congress, while Somen Mitra has floated his own party, the Progressive Indira Congress (PIC) to support Mamata Banerjee in her fight against the ruling Marxists in the state.

The Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Manas Bhunia had urged the speaker to disqualify the membership of the two MLAs under the anti-defection laws and the speaker will meet the duo on Friday, two days before the budget session of the state Assembly begins on Monday.


Any drastic action against the two MLAs is likely to raise controversy in both the Congress and Trinamool Congress circles. Both the MLAs are now planning to fight the Lok Sabha elections. While Mr Banerjee will contest the Lok Sabha on a Trinamool Congress tickets, Mr Mitra is still unsure about getting a nomination from the Trinamool Congress
Already Trinamool Congress leaders have accused CLP leader Manas Bhunia of "becoming extra careful about initiating disciplinary measures against the two MLAs" and alleged that Bhunia���s act will help the CPIM indirectly.

Bhunia is also facing criticism from Trinamool Congress circles which feel that "Bhunia should resist the temptation of initiating measures against the two sitting MLAs" at a time when both the opposition parties are holding talks for sharing of seats between them to put up a joint fight against the CPIM in the Lok Sabha elections.

Meanwhile, the newly elected Trinamool Congress MLA from the Bishnupur West Assembly seat, Madan Mitra will take oath in the Assembly house on Friday. With Mitra���s victory, the number of Trinamool Congress MLAs has touched the figure 32.

Asim Dasgupta to place the budget on March 20

West Bengal finance minister Asim Dasgupta will place the state budget on March 20.