Governor prorogues Bengal Assembly

KOLKATA: Based on state government's recommendation, Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar prorogued the Assembly from Saturday. Prorogation is discontinuing a session of Parliament or a Legislative Assembly without dissolving it.

He exercised the power vested upon him under Article 174 of the Constitution of India. As a result, the state government will have to take permission from the Governor to commence the next session of the Assembly and it would begin with his speech.

"In exercise of the powers conferred upon me by sub-clause (a) of clause (2) of article 174 of the Constitution, I, Jagdeep Dhankhar, Governor of the State of West Bengal, hereby prorogue the West Bengal Legislative Assembly with effect from 12 February, 2022," he tweeted.

State government sources said Dhankhar prorogued the Assembly on advice of the state Cabinet.

Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, "The Governor did not take the decision on his own initiative. He has prorogued the Assembly following the recommendation of the Cabinet. There is no confusion in it."

The Budget session of the Assembly is likely to begin shortly. Trinamool Congress (TMC) has proposed to move a proposal to remove the Governor. Party's Rajya Sabha chief whip, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, had already submitted a letter to the Secretariat of the Upper House, demanding a discussion on the removal of the Governor on the floor of the House.

Ray said the Governor had intervened in the day-to-day functioning of the state government and embarrassed it by his statements in the press and social media.