Citing BJP antecedents of High Court Judge Kaushik Chanda and objection conveyed by her to the Chief Justice to his appointment as a Permanent Judge in the Calcutta High Court, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday expressed apprehension about the assigning of her election petition before Chanda’s court.

In a letter, Banerjee’s counsel urged the HC Chief Justice (Acting) to reassign the petition to another court as his client was apprehensive about “likelihood of bias on the part of the honourable Judge”.

Claims Judge was BJP member

Noting that High Court Judge Kaushik Chanda was an “active member of the BJP” when he was an advocate, Mamata Banerjee’s counsel questioned assigning of election petition to him
The counsel says his client also apprehends that Justice Chanda was aware of Banerjee’s objections to his appointment as Permanent Judge

Dates mentioned in the counsel’s letter showed that while Mamata objected to Chanda’s appointment as a Permanent Judge in April when her view was sought by the Chief Justice in this matter, her election petition filed the following month was assigned to Chanda by the CJ.

On May 21, Banerjee moved an election petition challenging the verdict of the Nandigram constituency, where she lost to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari. She accused the BJP leader of committing corrupt practices and also alleged discrepancies in counting.

Initially, the petition was listed to come up before Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya on June 9. However, subsequently, Banerjee “was made aware” by the Chief Justice (Acting) that her petition got assigned to Justice Chanda.

Banerjee’s counsel wrote that his client apprehends that Justice Chanda was aware of her objections to his appointment as Permanent Judge.

Noting that Chanda was an “active member of the BJP” when he was an advocate, the letter questioned assigning of Banerjee’s election petition to him. His client was apprehensive that the judge could favour Adhikari, the counsel stated.

Justice Chanda on Friday fixed June 24 as the date for presentation of Banerjee’s plea.

Derek O’Brien, TMC leader in the RS, tweeted two pictures of an event organised by BJP’s law and legal affairs department.

Drawing a circle around the face of a person purported to be Justice Chanda, O’Brien wrote, “Who is that person ‘circled’ in both pics? Is he Justice Chanda of Calcutta High Court? Has he been assigned to hear the Nandigram case? Can the judiciary sink any lower?”

Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh compared the HC Judge with Assembly Speaker (who may be winning as a party nominee. but is expected rise above party affiliations when discharging his duty as Speaker) and said as a judge Justice Chanda acted impartially.