144 clamped in and around premises of Darjeeling Municipality on 28 December: No bar for no- confidence motion -Ordered High Court.

KalimNews, Darjeeling, 26 December 2022: Vacation bench of the Calcutta High Court dismissed the petition filed by Hamro Party (HP) regarding an appeal to stop the No- Confidence move of the opposition party led by Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM).

At the same time SDO  Darjeeling has clamped down 144 section on 28 December in and around the premises of Darjeeling Municipality and on the same day the motion of No- Confidence is likely to be moved by the opposition party challenging the Ritesh Portel led by Hamro Party as the chairman of the Darjeeling Municipality.

BGPM and other councillors had submitted an appeal for no confidence motion against the present chairman. But there was no response from the ruling chairman. 

BGPM councillors made a requisition of an extraordinary special meeting to municipality chairman Ritesh Portel on November 28 (dated 24 November) and followed it up with another request to Vice Chairman Yanzi Sherpa on December 13.

Again three councilors called a meeting on December 18 to move a motion of no confidence against the chairman. 

Chairman Ritesh Portel submitted a petition to the Jalpaiguri circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court to stop the appeal of no confidence motion against the chairman. 

The High Court heard the petition and stated that there is no bar to show no confidence. Justice Kaushik Chand ordered on Monday in the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench that the councilors can bring a no-confidence motion against the chairman and no confidence motion can be moved in accordance to the Bengal Municipality Act of 1995. 

Instead, the High Court also raised the question why the chairman did not call the meeting within 15 days of receiving the first letter. Incidentally, 5 councilors of Hamro Party joined BGPM last month. Since then, the speculation of change of power started in hill politics.