Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari on Friday called on the Speaker's office to reconsider the August 5 ruling by the Deputy Speaker, which cited "paucity of time" as the reason for disallowing the BJP to move a motion seeking the removal of Speaker Biman Banerjee.

The BJP, which had initially moved the notice for the Speaker's removal on July 30, 2024 under Clause (c) of Article 179 of the Constitution of India, read with Rule 201(1) of the Assembly's Rules of Procedure, is now pressing for the matter to be taken up in the session reconvening on November 25, 2024.

Adhikari, in his letter, highlighted that "the House had not been prorogued since the notice was submitted, asserting that the notice remains valid".

He called on the Speaker's office to allow a discussion on the matter in the forthcoming session, emphasizing the procedural and constitutional significance of addressing the notice." The original notice, which called for a debate on Speaker Biman Banerjee's removal, was sidelined in the August session when the Deputy Speaker ruled against granting leave to allow discussion on the motion.

Sources within the BJP indicate that the motion stems from the party's dissatisfaction with what it perceives as the Speaker’s bias in conducting Assembly proceedings.

Adhikari and his colleagues have accused Speaker Banerjee of stifling voices of the opposition members.

The ruling TMC, however, has dismissed the allegations, terming the BJP's move a political stunt aimed at garnering attention ahead of the Assembly's winter session.

Constitutional experts have pointed out that the Speaker's removal requires a carefully laid-out procedure, which begins with the leave of the House to consider the resolution.

Given the BJP’s minority status in the Assembly, as it has only 72 MLAs in the 294-member House, even if the matter is allowed for discussion, it faces an uphill battle to muster the requisite numbers to pass the resolution.

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