Darj Municipality: State Election Commission calls for hearing on petition seeking disqualification of councillor

MP  |  26 Apr 2023 :  The West Bengal State Election Commission has called for a hearing on April 28 on the Usha Rai case. Incidentally, Usha Rai is the Municipal Councillor of Ward 15 under the Darjeeling Municipality. 

She owes allegiance to the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha. Hamro Party (HP,) the opposition party, had filed a petition with the West Bengal election commission seeking Rai’s disqualification on January 13. 

In the petition, Ajoy Edwards, the President of HP had alleged that Rai had been dismissed from government service for misappropriation of over Rs. 1 crore. 

Citing the West Bengal Municipal Act 1994, he had claimed that any person dismissed from government service over corruption charges cannot contest municipal elections and that she had not cited the dismissal while filing her nomination for the civic polls in 2022. 

 A notice to Edwards from the Secretary, West Bengal Election Commission, dated 25.04.2023 stated that a hearing will be taken by the State Election Commissioner, West Bengal on 28.04.23 at 2pm at the office of the commission in connection with the petition against Usha Rai. 

The notice further asked Edwards to attend with requisite documents. Amar Lama, General Secretary, BGPM and an Advocate stated: “How can Usha Rai attend at such short notice. 

She received the notice on April 26 while the hearing is on 28. That too a copy of the complaint against her has not been served to her.” 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/darj-municipality-state-election-commission-calls-for-hearing-on-petition-seeking-disqualification-of-councillor-516565