kolkata: It is now the discretion of the Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay to select the Chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) after Trinamool Congress filed 13 nominations while BJP filed six and Mukul Roy filed it separately.
In connection with the election of the chairman of the PAC, Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee said earlier in the day: "Anyone can submit a nomination. Mukul Roy, who has submitted his nomination, is a member of BJP. What is the problem? He has even been supported by Binay Tamang's party from Kalimpong. We are also supporting him. It is the Speaker's discretion (that who will be PAC chairman). We will win if it gets dragged to the election. The people's mandate, with which we again came to power, will once again get proved".
With the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Secretariat publishing the list of 20 validly nominated candidates, the chances of election to induct members in the committee has been avoided.
The reason being 20 valid nominations have been received for the 20-member committee. Now, the ball is in the Speaker's court whether he nominates Roy, who was elected from Krishnanagar South in BJP's ticket and later joined Trinamool Congress, as chairman of the committee of any other MLA in the list of validly nominated candidates.
In connection with elections in municipalities, Banerjee said: "We are ready to conduct the same. We have no fear in conducting it and there is nothing to worry as it will be done on time. But let the bypolls in seven Assembly constituencies get conducted first. We are just waiting. Let the Election Commission first conduct the by polls".
BJP's legislative party has submitted a letter protesting against the nomination of Roy before the completion of the scrutiny of the nominations submitted. Later in evening, the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Secretariat published the list of validly nominated candidates with BJP's objection getting overruled.
Roy's proposers were independent MLA supported by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (Binay faction) from Kalimpong Ruden Sada Lepcha and Egra's TMC MLA Tarun Maity.
Political experts said that it is the convention to make a member of the Opposition party as the chairman of PAC. The ball is now in the Speaker's court and now it is to be seen whether he nominates an MLA from BJP or Roy who was elected from Krishnanagar South in BJP's ticket, but later joined Trinamool Congress. With Banerjee categorically speaking about supporting Roy, he has an edge over his competitors for the post of PAC chairman.
The list of validly nominated candidates also contains the names of Balurghat's BJP MLA Ashok Lahiri and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.
The Budget Session of the state Assembly is going to start from July 2 and the Budget will be tabled on July 7, when the Chief Minister will also hold a cabinet meeting at her office in the Assembly itself.