Source: outlookindia.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\nKolkata, Jul 18 A section of BJP councillors of the Bongaon Municipality in West Bengal approached the Calcutta High Court on Thursday seeking to move a petition for removal of the civic body”s chairman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The court granted them leave and directed that the matter will be heard on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Debjani Dagupta, the counsel for the councillors, said a petition praying for an order of the municipality chairman”s removal has been filed in the registry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Claiming that most of the councillors in the 22-member Bongaon Municipality passed a resolution expressing no-confidence in its chairman Shankar Addhya, the petitioners also sought an order of injunction on his functioning as the head of the body till disposal of the petition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dasgupta said that the high court had earlier given them liberty to move a no-confidence motion against the chairman as per statutory provisions of West Bengal Municipalities Procedure and Conduct Rules, 1995.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eleven BJP councillors gave representation to the sub-divisional officer of Bongaon and district magistrate of North 24 Parganas stating that they were going to hold a meeting of no-confidence as per the direction of the high court on July 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They were, however, prevented from entering the municipality office premises by the police and people owing allegiance to Trinamool Congress on the appointed date, Dasgupta said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Later in the day they were able to hold the meeting and voted in favour of a no-confidence motion against the TMC chairman by a majority of 11 to 10 votes,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The councillors claimed that despite having lost the confidence vote, the chairman was illegally holding the post and the BJP-affiliated councillors were being prevented from entering the civic body office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The petitioners prayed for an order directing adoption of the resolution to remove Addhya as chairman or for holding the motion anew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the plea, the BJP councillors also prayed for an interim injunction that Addhya cannot function as chairman till disposal of the matter before the high court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bongaon, a town along the Indo-Bangladesh border in North 24 Parganas district, witnessed violent scenes on Tuesday with the TMC and BJP supporters clashing with each other in front of the municipality office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both the parties claimed to have won the trust vote. The administration has, however, not yet declared the results of the vote. AMR RMS SOM SOM<\/p>\n