Confusion over oath ceremony of 2 Trinamool MLAs snowballs in Bengal

Kolkata: Confusion over the swearing-in ceremony of two newly-elected Trinamool Congress legislators in West Bengal snowballed further on Tuesday after the Raj Bhavan authorities made it clear through a fresh notification that Governor C.V. Ananda Bose will have the final word in this matter.

The development came just a day after the two Trinamool legislators -- Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Houssen Sarkar -- made it clear that they will not attend the swearing-in function at the Raj Bhavan on June 26 as intimated to them by the Governor's office.

Banerjee also wrote to the Governor's office stating that her oath should be administered by the Speaker of the state Assembly, Biman Bandopadhyay.

The fresh notification issued by the Raj Bhavan on Tuesday said that under the constitutional provisions, the member of any legislative body “shall, before taking his seat, make before the Governor, or some person appointed by him, an oath and affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the Third Schedule”.

The notification also reminded the provisions for penalties for legislators breaching the norms.

The uncertainty over the swearing-in ceremony has been growing for the last couple of days after the Governor's office sent invitations directly to the two Trinamool legislators instead of sending the same to the office of the Assembly Speaker.

Trinamool leadership described the gesture as an insult to the Speaker's office.