Calcutta High Court cancels Mukul Roy's West Bengal Assembly membership under anti-defection law

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday cancelled the membership of senior leader Mukul Roy in the West Bengal assembly under the anti-defection law.

Roy was elected to the House on a BJP ticket in May 2021, but joined the ruling Trinamool Congress in August that year in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

A division bench presided by Justice Debangsu Basak disqualified Roy as a member of the state assembly, passing judgment on petitions by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and BJP MLA Ambika Roy.

Adhikari had filed the petition before the high court, challenging Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee’s decision rejecting his plea to disqualify Roy under the anti-defection law, alleging that he switched over to the ruling TMC after being elected on a BJP ticket.