TMC trying to suggest 10 is greater than 11: HC on Bongaon municipality vote

The Calcutta High Court on Monday

said TMC councillors of Bongaon municipality are trying to change mathematics by suggesting "10 is greater than 11".

Eleven BJP councillors have moved the high court claiming that they were prevented from participating in a

no-confidence vote at Bongaon municipality with a

22-member board.

After holding the vote on July 16 which was attended by councillors of the ruling TMC, the election officer had reported to the sub divisional officer and district magistrate of North 24 Parganas that the TMC chairman won by 10-0 votes.

"Am I to believe that 10 is the majority when 11 are against you? Mathematics will change," Justice Samapti Chattopadhyay observed during the hearing of the petition.

 

"By their logic, 10 is greater than 11," she said.

There are at present 11 BJP councillors, 10 of TMC and one from CPI(M) in the 22-member Bongaon board.

Justice Chattopadhyay adjourned the hearing in the matter till Tuesday.

Hearing a previous petition filed by the BJP councillors, Justice Chattopadhyay had directed that any three of them would move the no-confidence motion, following which they moved the motion and it was taken up for voting on July 16.

Supporters of the ruling TMC and the BJP had clashed and bombs were hurled in front of the municipality office on the day following a dispute over the trust vote for control of the civic body.

The 11 BJP councillors individually moved the high court on the following day, claiming that they were forcibly prevented by the police and other people owing allegiance to the TMC from participating in the trust vote in violation of the court's order.

They claimed that they had later taken a resolution, signed by all 11 of them, expressing "no-confidence" in chairman Shankar Addhya.

Counsel for the BJP councillors, Ashok Chakraborti said the TMC councillors moved a separate resolution expressing confidence in the chairman, which he claimed was illegal.

Claiming that during the pendency of one resolution, another resolution cannot be brought for vote, Chakraborti submitted that it is a fraud on statute and judicial pronouncement.

He further submitted that the election officer committed a fraud on law by sending a report to the sub divisional officer and district magistrate that the no-confidence motion has failed.

Appearing for the TMC councillors, senior advocate Partha Sengupta submitted that there were technical glitches in the averments made by the petitioners.

He claimed that the meeting held by the BJP councillors on July 16 was not valid in the eyes of the law as the resolution was not passed in front of the election officer and the officer was only handed over the signed resolution.

Sengupta also submitted that the meeting by the TMC councillors was held at the designated venue and at the scheduled time, expressing confidence in the chairman.

Observing that she can understand how the court's order was maligned, Justice Chattopadhyay said she is fully satisfied that the rule has been violated.