An election scheduled for Thursday at Rani Birla Girls’ College to choose teachers’ representatives to the governing body was cancelled after some government-nominated governing body members allegedly threatened the principal for attempting to go ahead with the vote, several teachers said.

Three governing body members nominated by the education department allegedly told the principal on Wednesday evening that instead of holding the elections, she must nominate teachers’ representatives as desired by them.

The principal cancelled the elections.

The teachers alleged that an election would ensure that the teachers’ concerns and voices reach the highest decision-making body of the college. The cancellation of the election has curbed the scope.

On Wednesday evening, the principal of the college, located on Shakespeare Sarani, was admitted to a hospital after she fell ill following an argument with the governing body members, said teachers.

“The three government nominees — Manas Kabi, principal of Asutosh College, Kajari Banerjee, a councillor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, and Sarthak Banerjee, the head clerk of Asutosh College — came to the college on Wednesday and warned our principal, Srabanti Bhattacharya, against proceeding with the elections. The principal conceded to their pressure. She came under so much stress that she had to be hospitalised,” said a professor.

Calls and text messages to the principal went unanswered.

Kabi, the principal of Asutosh College and also the secretary of the All Bengal Principals’ Council, denied the allegation that he and others intimidated the principal.

Education minister Bratya Basu heads the council.

“Three of us had been appointed government nominees to the governing body of the Rani Birla Girls’ College on June 9 with some principals who are members of the All Bengal Principals’ Council. We went to the college to know why the principal had fixed the election for June 19 without consulting the government nominees to the governing body. Kajari Banerjee is the president of the governing body. We did not put any pressure on the principal; on the other hand, we received allegations from a section of college teachers and non-teaching employees who have accused the principal of intimidation,” Kabi told Metro.

Sarthak Banerjee said he did not go to Rani Birla Girls’ College on Wednesday.

Calls and text messages to Kajari Banerjee on Thursday evening went unanswered.

A college official said they decided to hold the elections on Thursday following the statute of the college. The teachers accordingly filed their candidature.

“But the process was dropped following what happened on Wednesday evening. We will apprise the higher education department and Calcutta University, which affiliates the government-aided college, about the situation,” said a college teacher.

Prabadh Mishra, the vice-president of West Bengal College and University Teachers’ Association (WBCUTA), said: “The government nominees to the governing body created hurdles to holding the elections as they wanted their preferred candidates to be elected to the highest body. This is an attack on the autonomy of the college”.