Kolkata, May 11

West Bengal BJP MLAs Nishith Pramanik and Jaganath Sarkar, who are also members of the Lok Sabha, are expected to resign from the post of MLAs and retain their membership of Parliament.

While a majority of 77 newly elected BJP members have taken oath already as MLAs, Pramanik and Sarkar have not done so. The BJP Central leadership has also okayed the duo’s appeal to allow them continue as MPs.

Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest Babul Supriyo, who is an MP from Asansol constituency, and Locket Chatterjee, Lok Sabha member from Hoogly, had also contested in the just concluded Assembly elections in West Bengal. But Supriyo and Chatterjee failed to make in the Assembly.

Resignation by Pramanik and Sarkar will bring down the strength of the BJP in the 294-member West Bengal House to 75 and necessitate byelection in the Dinhata and Shantipur Assembly seats, won by Pramanik and Sarkar, respectively.

Elections in three more Assembly seats in the state are due. These include Jangipur and Samserganj. The byelection will have to be held in Khardaha as victorious TMC candidate Kajal Sinha died of Covid before the results were announced. — TNS