Nandigram case: Calcutta HC to hear Mamata Banerjee’s plea seeking recusal of election petition

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court will on Thursday take up the application by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking recusal of her petition challenging the election of the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram. The matter has been listed for hearing along with her election petition before the bench of Justice Kaushik Chanda. A lawyer representing Banerjee said that the application seeking recusal of Justice Chanda from the case was filed as the petitioner apprehended that she may not get proper justice before it. Banerjee’s counsel had earlier written to the Acting Chief Justice of the high court praying for reassignment of her election petition to another bench. Justice Chanda had on 18 June adjourned till 24 June Banerjee’s election petition praying for declaring the election of Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram null and void. The matter had been mentioned on that date by Banerjee’s lawyer before the court of Justice Chanda as per the list for hearing. Adjourning the matter, Justice Chanda had directed the Registrar, High Court, Original Side, to file a report before the court by the next date of hearing as to whether the election petition has been filed in conformity with the Representation of People Act, 1951.