TMC objects to Justice Chanda hearing Mamata's Nandigram plea; says 'Was a BJP member'

Taking umbrage against Justice Kausik Chanda, TMC MP Derek O'Brien on Friday alleged that the Calcutta High Court judge had been affiliated to the BJP till 2018. Posting photos of Chanda along with BJP West Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh at a BJP legal cell event, O'Brien sought replacement of Chanda with another justice in the Nandigram poll plea filed by CM Mamata Banerjee. Justice Chanda has deferred hearing the CM's plea to June 24. 

TMC objects to Justice Chanda hearing Nandigram plea

Moreover, TMC alleged that Kausik Chanda, as an advocate, has represented the BJP against the state government in several cases dated 2012, 2013, 2014 till 2018. As per the Calcutta High Court's official website, Chanda was enrolled as an advocate in December 1998 and later elevated as a senior advocate in 2014. He was appointed as Additional Solicitor General of India on April 09, 2015 and held that position till September, 2019. Later in October, he was elevated to the Calcutta High Court's Bench as an Additional Judge.

Banerjee's counsel too wrote to the secretary of the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, seeking reassignment of her petition as she was made aware that Justice Kausik Chanda, who is hearing her plea, was "an active member of the BJP". Citing that since the adjudication of the election petition will have political ramifications, it was prayed that the matter be assigned to another judge by the Acting Chief Justice, who is the master of roster. "We have no personal ill-feeling or allegation against the judge, but he was associated with a particular political party," one of the lawyers said. Banerjee had objected to Chanda's confirmation as a judge and fears that there is a likelihood of bias on his part.

The Nandigram battle

In a bid to protect her home-turf, Mamata Banerjee had battled BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in the place which had catapulted Mamata Banerjee into the CM post in 2011. Miffed by the rising influence of Banerjee's nephew - Abhishek Banerjee and IPAC poll strategist Prashant Kishor in Trinamool, Adhikari along with several other MLAs had switched to BJP. Taking the battle head-on, Banerjee had announced she will contest polls from Nandigram instead of her bastion Bhowanipore, leading to BJP fielding Adhikari.

While Nandigram is a Trinamool bastion, it is the Adhikari family - Sisir, Suvendu, Dibyendu and Soumendu which has massive sway in the district - leading to Suvendu's victory over Mamata by a margin of 1737 votes. Though Mamata accepted her defeat, she said that she will challenge the electoral verdict in court. The nail-biting clincher saw Suvendu Adhikari take the lead by 4000 seats over Mamata Banerjee, but later the margin reduced to mere 6 votes, before Mamata took the lead. Suvendu has been rewarded by BJP with his election as Leader of Opposition.