Kolkata: West Bengal Governor RN Ravi dissolved the state assembly on Thursday as the election process for a new legislature concluded, paving the way for the installation of the Bharatiya Janata Party's first government in the state, reports Debashis Konar. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, protesting the results, maintained that she would not resign from her post.
Governor's Decision and Model Code of Conduct
The governor's decision coincided with the Election Commission's move to lift the model code of conduct that had been in force since mid-March for the assembly polls. However, the code remains in effect for Falta, where repolls will be held on May 21, followed by the results on May 24. The April 29 polling in Falta was revoked due to voting malpractices.
In a notification, the governor stated that the assembly had been dissolved "from Thursday in accordance with constitutional provisions of Article 174(2)(b)." The tenure of the assembly had ended, and as new MLAs were elected, the House had to be prorogued, an official explained. The new assembly will then be convened by the governor, who will administer the oath to the newly elected members.
Oath-Taking and New Session
The oath is normally administered by the senior-most MLA, called the pro-tem speaker, before the speaker is appointed, the official said. The new session of the assembly will begin with the governor's address. With the polls concluded, except for Falta, sources indicated that the Election Commission relieved two key officials from their duties on Thursday: special poll observer Subrata Gupta and special police observer NK Mishra.
