Suvendu petitions Speaker to remove Mukul as MLA

Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP on Friday petitioned Speaker Biman Banerjee to disqualify Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy from the legislature under the anti-defection law. Roy, who won from Krishnanagar Uttar on a BJP ticket switched over to the ruling party over a week ago.

BJP’s chief whip Manoj Tigga said, “After getting an absolute majority, the ruling party has the tradition of buying Opposition MLAs. We are trying to stop this practice. We already appealed to the speaker, and if Assembly does not react we will take action accordingly.”

Sources in the BJP said the leadership had consulted its lawyers and could even move court.

TMC Rajya Sabha deputy leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said that the BJP had formed government in other states by “poaching MLAs” from other parties and shouldn’t give sermons.