No HC stay on no-trust motion against civic body chief

The Calcutta High Court Tuesday refused to pass any interim stay on a no-confidence motion brought against Bhatpara Municipality chairman Arjun Singh, who recently left the TMC to join the BJP.

Claiming that one of the 21 councillors who signed the no-confidence motion has filed a police complaint alleging that she was forced to vet it, Singh moved the high court challenging the motion.

He prayed for a stay on the no-confidence motion, a notice for which was given by the councillors on March 18.

The West Bengal government opposed his prayer for injunction claiming that there was no illegality in the motion.

Refusing to pass any interim injunction on it, Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty directed the state government to file an affidavit within four weeks stating the reasons for opposing Singh's petition.

The court also directed Singh to file an affidavit in reply within the next two weeks after the government files its opposition.

Of the 35 seats of Bhatpara Municipality, 34 were won by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and one by the Communist Party of India(Marxist).

With the death of one councillor, the effective strength of the municipality is 34.

Singh, also a TMC MLA from Bhatpara constituency in North 24 Parganas district, has recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He was fielded from Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat for the general elections by the saffron party.