TMC MPs write to President Kovind seeking removal of West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar

In the run-up to West Bengal assembly elections, five Trinamool Congress MPs including Sukhendu Shekhar Roy & Derek O’ Brien have written to President Ram Nath Kovind demanding the removal of the West Bengal Governor. In the letter, the TMC leaders have alleged that Governor Jagdeep Dhankar has violated "constitutional norms and ethics" and has indulged in "divisive politics." The letter terms Governor Dhankar's demand for an apology from CM Mamata Banerjee over the attack on BJP chief JP Nadda's convoy as "transgression." The letter also states that critical tweets targeting the West Bengal government and "with political bias" by the Governor would cause "law and order problem". Moreover, the TMC leaders have termed the Governor as "insult and attack on Sovereignty of the State Legislature" in their letter.

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Governor Dhankar vs Mamata govt

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and CM Mamata Banerjee have been at loggerheads since the former was appointed in the state. While Dhankar has accused the West Bengal government of misusing its power and suppressing dissenting voices in the state, Mamata Banerjee's government has claimed that the Governor has not followed its constitutional duties. Earlier in November, Dhankhar accused Mamata govt of turning West Bengal into a police state and said he would be forced to "look into" Article 154 of the Constitution, as the office of the Governor has been ignored for long. Banerjee, on her part, had said that Dhankhar should "act within the mandate of the Constitution", and said his aspersions consist of uncorroborated judgments and insinuations against her government. 

On Nadda's convoy attack, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar had demanded Mamata Banerjee's apology and had alerted the Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police of the possibility of the collapse of law and order. Dhankhar wrote in a series of tweets on the attack, "Events indicate total abdication of lawful authority. As a constitutional head, I share my shame with you as it is on account of your acts of omission and commission." 

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West Bengal assembly elections

West Bengal assembly with 294 seats will go to polls in April-May 2021, Trinamool holds 222 seats. BJP has made major inroads in the state in the Lok Sabha elections winning 18 seats and establishing itself as the major Opposition force in the state. Recently TMC trumped BJP in all 3 bypolls but the BJP is using its booth-level strategy, has placed its top leaders including Amit Shah and JP Nadda in the state for winning the upcoming elections.

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