Calcutta HC upholds charges against Trinamool candidate in 2021 having Bangladeshi

Kolkata, May 5 A division bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Friday, upheld the charges against Alo Rani Sarkar, a Trinamool Congress candidate in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, of having Bangladesh citizenship, which was earlier confirmed by a single-judge bench of the same court.

In the election, Alo Rani Sarkar who contested from Bangaon (South) Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, lost to BJP's Swapan Majumder by a margin of 2004 votes.

She challenged the results at the Calcutta High Court's single-judge bench of Justice Bibek Chaudhuri. Her petition was dismissed as the counsel for the elected legislator presented evidence in support of Bangladeshi citizenship of Alo Rani Sarkar.

Majumder's counsel also presented evidence of Sarkar's name figuring in Bangladesh voters' list. However, her counsel failed to present any solid counter-argument or counter-evidence in the matter. Thereafter, Justice Chaudhuri's bench dismissed Sarkar's petition and also ruled that she cannot claim herself as a citizen of India.

Observing that the Indian constitution does not have space for dual-citizenship, Justice Chaudhuri's bench also directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take action in the matter.

Sarkar then challenged the order of the single-judge bench at Calcutta High Court's division bench of Justice Subrata Talukdar and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya.