The budget session of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly started on Monday bypassing the customary address by Governor CV Anand Bose, setting the stage for yet another showdown between the state and Raj Bhavan that's is likely to further strain the already soured ties.
By convention, the session should have started with the Governor's address followed by obituary references on the next day. The same schedule is followed in Parliament where on January 31, adhering to established norms, President Draupadi Murmu addressed members of both Houses while the interim budget was presented the following day.
In Bengal though the first day of the budget session saw obituary references only.
The state government’s decision to go ahead with the session without the Governor’s address is likely spark another round of controversy. “This is unethical,” said Abdul Mannan, veteran Congress leader and former leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly.
By convention, after the Governor’s address – which is prepared by the government and sent to Raj Bhavan – lawmakers from Treasury and the Opposition benches hold a discussion after which the budget, or the “annual financial statement”, for the next fiscal year is placed. This time no such speech is reported to have reached Raj Bhavan.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also handles the finance portfolio, will present the state budget on February 8.
“This is unprecedented,” said Sujan Chakraborty, CPM central committee member and former leader of the Left Front in the Assembly. “They had tried to do the same thing in 2021 but then Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar (now Vice President of India) intervened and made sure their plans got derailed.”
Article 202 of the Constitution states the Governor shall in respect of every financial year cause to be laid before the House or the Houses of the Legislature of the State a statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the State for that year, in this part referred as the “annual financial statement.”
The Trinamul Congress government offered an explanation. State parliamentary affairs minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay said, “The earlier session was adjourned sine die and not prorogued. The session is in continuance. We are following the law.”
Article 176 clearly states that at the start of the first session of each year the Governor shall address the Legislative Assembly or, in case of a state having a Legislative Council, both Houses assembled together and inform the legislature of the causes of its summons.
“Whenever the budget session starts whether in Parliament or assemblies, the President or the Governor has to address the House. This is a breach of parliamentary practice,” said Bikash Bhattacharya, advocate and CPM Rajya Sabha MP. “The Mamata Banerjee government is setting a dangerous trend which will be reflected (upon) by the BJP in Delhi. Her actions will inspire Modi (to act).”
Bhattacharya asked why BJP lawmakers did not boycott the session. “Even if the matter goes to the court, the judiciary may refuse to intervene in the legislative matter,” he said.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari was in Delhi where he met vice-president Dhankhar, Union home minister Amit Shah and Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
BJP legislators have called a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the strategy for the budget session.
On Monday, the Assembly saw obituary references being made for former state minister and CPM leader Narayan Biswas, singer and former Trinamul MLA Anup Ghoshal, former CPM MLA Maharani Konar, classical singer Ustad Rashid Khan and a few others before being adjourned for the day.
The session will convene on Tuesday when the Howrah Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2024 will come up for discussion apart from Question Hour.