Kolkata: Another tussle between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to take place as TMC will submit a bill in Assembly tomorrow (Tuesday) over forming West Bengal Legislative Council and West Bengal BJP has not given an affirmative nod to it.
According to TMC sources, they will submit the bill in the House for approval despite odds.
Notably, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ever since coming to power in 2011 wanted to open a Legislative council and despite several attempts couldn’t form it.
Currently, only six states Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have Legislative Council or Upper House.
BJP MLA Manoj Tigga said that they will oppose opening of Legislative Council as he fears that the state government cannot pay the Member of Legislative Council (MLC).
“Mamata Banerjee always says that her government doesn’t have money so if she wants the Legislative Council how will she pay the MLCs? The BJP will restrict such new formations,” said Tigga.
West Bengal has 294 Assembly seats and West Bengal can have 98 members in the legislative council as its strength cannot be more than one-third of total Assembly seats.
It is pertinent to mention that Mamata Banerjee who herself had lost the Nandigram seat to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari have inducted Amit Mitra as Finance Minister even without contesting the polls and since members of Legislative Council can become ministers, chances are there that Amit Mitra can be shifted to Legislative Council or Upper House.
Legislative Council was started in Bengal by Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy in 1952 which was active till 1969 and the last Legislative Council in West Bengal had 73 members.
