MLAs' oath ceremony: Will seek President's intervention if necessary, says Bengal Speaker

Kolkata: West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay, on Wednesday, said that he would seek the attention of President Droupadi Murmu if uncertainties over the swearing-in ceremony of the two newly elected legislators in by-polls prevailed.

The office of Governor C.V. Ananda Bose invited the newly elected Trinamool Congress MLAs namely Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Houssen to come to Raj Bhavan on Wednesday by 12 noon.

However, the MLAs kept waiting at the state assembly premises insisting that their swearing-in ceremony be conducted at the assembly instead of the Raj Bhavan and preferably be administered by the Speaker.

The duo also said that they would agree to the oath ceremony being administered by the Governor if that is done on the assembly premises.

Later speaking to the media persons, the Speaker said that when the Prime Minister of the country is being administered the oath as Lok Sabha member by the Pro-tem Speaker, there is no reason for the Governor to insist on such things.

“The Governor should nominate somebody and in this case where the two newly elected legislators have been elected through bypolls, the Speaker of the assembly should be nominated to administer the oath,” Bandopadhyay said.

When asked about his next course of action if the uncertainties over the swearing-in ceremony continued, the Speaker said that first, he would evaluate the legal sides in the matter and also consult the legal brains. “If necessary, I will also try to bring the matter to the notice of the Indian President. What is happening over the oath ceremony is simply unfortunate,” the Speaker said.

Incidentally, the Raj Bhavan authorities, through a notification on Tuesday, made it clear that the Governor will have the last word regarding the oath ceremony of the two newly elected MLAs.