Kolkata, 18 December (H.S.) : The West Bengal Assembly Secretariat has decided not to file an appeal in the High Court against the Calcutta High Court’s order disqualifying Krishna Nagar North MLA Mukul Roy. The decision was taken following legal advice. Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay confirmed on Thursday, “Since the opposing party in this matter is Mukul Roy’s son, Shubhranshu Roy, any further action will be initiated by them. The Assembly Secretariat will take no steps in this case.”

The Calcutta High Court’s Division Bench, comprising Justices Devanshu Basak and Shabbar Rashidi, had on November 13, 2025, ordered the disqualification of Mukul Roy under the anti-defection law. The BJP’s legislative party claims that the disqualification was carried out under provisions of the anti-defection law.

Mukul Roy had won the Krishna Nagar North seat in the 2021 Assembly elections on a BJP ticket. After his victory on May 2, he joined the Trinamool Congress on June 11, prompting opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari to file a complaint with the Speaker for action under the anti-defection law. When no action was taken, the matter was moved to court. Initially, the case reached the Supreme Court, which directed that it be resolved in the High Court.

Separately, Ambika Roy, the BJP MLA from Kalyani, had filed a petition challenging Mukul Roy’s continuation as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Both cases were heard by the Calcutta High Court Division Bench, which ruled on November 13 disqualifying Mukul Roy under the anti-defection law.

Sources in the Assembly Secretariat said that after the verdict, Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay sought legal advice from the state Advocate General, Kishore Dutt. After nearly a month of deliberations, it was decided that the Secretariat would not pursue an appeal in the High Court, leaving it to Shubhranshu Roy, who is a party in the case, to initiate any further proceedings.

It may be noted that several other BJP MLAs who joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021—including Suman Kanjilal, Tanmay Ghosh, Harkali Pratihari, and Tapasi Mandal—have also faced complaints filed by the BJP legislative party under the anti-defection law, which are still pending.

Former Railway Minister Mukul Roy, first elected as an MLA in 2021, has not participated in any Assembly sessions since switching to the Trinamool Congress and has been seriously ill, receiving treatment in hospital over the past few years.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh