CM Mamata plans to exit Parliament in style

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is still an MP from Kolkata (South), has made an elaborate resignation plan. HT reports.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is still an MP from Kolkata (South), has made an elaborate resignation plan.

HT Image

The Trinamool Congress leader is likely to attend the House, deliver a speech and may even lead the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Rabindranath Tagore before leaving Parliament where she has served seven terms.

Banerjee has to get elected to the Bengal assembly by November 20. According to Article 101 (2) of the Constitution, “No person shall be a member both of Parliament and of a House of the Legislature of a State, and if a person is chosen a member (of both places) then...that person’s seat in Parliament shall become vacant, unless he has previously resigned his seat in the Legislature of the State.”

“She wants to resign during a session. This is her only opportunity. There will not be another session before December,” a senior Trinamool leader said.

“Banerjee wants to attend the ongoing monsoon session to take this opportunity to deliver a speech during any important debate. She wants to send a political message,” said a Trinamool leader.

Some party MPs had planned to celebrate Tagore’s birth anniversary in Delhi. Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar granted permission for it at the Parliament annexe.

Now Banerjee wants her government to take charge of the programme.