Mukul Roy, Suvendu Adhikari elected as Public Accounts Committee members in WB Assembly

TMC leader Mukul Roy and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari were on Thursday elected to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) 2021-2022 in the West Bengal Assembly.

Roy and Adhikari are among 20 MLAs who have been elected to the PAC. Some of the other nominated members include Ashok Kumar Lahiri, Ambika Roy, Rabindranath Chatterjee, Nirmal Ghosh, Pradip Majumdar and Kallol Khan.

Earlier today, West Bengal BJP wrote to the state Legislative Assembly Secretary demanding rejection of the nomination of TMC leader Mukul Roy for Public Accounts Committee membership.

"We vehemently objected during the scrutiny of the nomination paper of Mukul Roy in the Public Accounts Committee verbally and are now registering our strong objection to the acceptance of the nomination paper on behalf of Mukul Roy in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), but your office took the reference of Rule no 302 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in West Bengal Legislative Assembly and directed us to submit a written objection to it," read BJP's letter.

According to the BJP, Rule 302 clearly says that 20 members of the Public Accounts Committee shall be elected from amongst its members on the Principle of Proportional Representation.

"Herein, the question remains as to whether Mukul Roy's representation is from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). The BJP has not recommended the name of Mukul Roy in the Public Accounts Committee, either he has to be from the BJP or from the TMC and his name has to be recommended from BJP or TMC. Otherwise, the term mentioned in Rules 302 'Proportional Representation' is not complied with," emphasised the BJP.

"Hence. in view of the legal interpretation and the compliance of Rule 302 we are requesting you to either dispose of this objection petition with sustainable reasons and/or reject the nomination form of Mukul Roy," urges the BJP.

On Wednesday, senior Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy filed nominations for memberships of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the West Bengal assembly. He was among the 14 MLAs who filed nominations for the membership. There are speculations that Roy may be appointed as PAC chairman.

Earlier this month, Mukul Roy, former BJP national vice president, and his son Subhranshu Roy joined the TMC in Kolkata in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

This came over a month after the TMC secured a landslide victory in the state Assembly elections.

( With inputs from ANI )