HC refuses to stay Mayoral poll, Mala Roy urges all councillors to be present for voting on Monday

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Friday refused to stay the election for the Mayoral post in Kolkata Municipal Corporation, which will be held on Monday, December 3. KMC chairperson Mala Roy held a meeting with the councillors and urged them to be present for the voting and use their democratic rights. 114 out of 122 elected councillors of Trinamool Congress attended the meeting.

It may be mentioned that Firhad Hakim, who holds the post of state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister, has been chosen as the Mayor designate by the councillors of Trinamool Congress, following former Mayor Sovan Chatterjee's resignation from the post.

CPI(M) councillor Bilquis Begum had moved the High Court, challenging Hakim's election on the ground that he was not an elected councillor from any of the wards of the civic body.

Justice Debangshu Basak on Friday directed the state and KMC to file affidavits in opposition to the petition of the CPI(M) councillor and said that the matter will be further heard on December 17. The petitioner has challenged the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018, which was passed by the state Assembly recently. It has also received the assent of the Governor, which allows a person who is not an elected councillor, to be made a Mayor of KMC. The person, however, would have to be elected within six months, in order to continue in the post.

"Some of the councillors could not turn up today (Friday) because of ill health and two of them are presently abroad. But all of them are expected to attend the elections on Monday, which will be held from 1 to 2.30 pm," said Roy.

When asked whether Sovan Chatterjee, who is a councillor of ward 131, will turn up for voting, Roy said: "The message regarding the elections has been passed to all the councillors."

There will be four booths where councillors will be voting. The oath-taking ceremony of the Mayor is also expected to take place on Monday after the announcement of the results.

Mina Debi Purohit from BJP will contest against Hakim for the Mayoral post, while Left Front and Congress have announced that they will boycott the voting.