Oath impasse continues, Deputy speaker declines Raj Bahwan's order

The impasse over the oath ceremony of two newly-elected Trinamool Congress legislators -- Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Houssen Sarkar -- continued in West Bengal even after Governor C.V. Ananda Bose nominated Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Asish Banerjee, for the job.

The Raj Bhavan on Thursday night issued a statement claiming that Governor Bose has already nominated Asish Banerjee to administer the oath of office to the two Trinamool MLAs under Article 188 of the Constitution.

However, the impasse continued as Deputy Speaker Banerjee, who has been reportedly nominated by the Governor to preside over the oath ceremony, told a section of the media that although he is yet to receive any communique from the Raj Bhavan, he will decline the offer even after he receives it.

He contended that when the Speaker of the House is in the city, he should have been nominated to preside over the swearing-in ceremony of the two Trinamool MLAs.

Incidentally, a single-day session of the Assembly has been convened on Friday, which, according to the Speaker, will be “very special".

Earlier, while the Governor wanted Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Houssen Sarkar to come to the Raj Bhavan for the oath ceremony, the two legislators and the Assembly authorities insisted that the swearing-in event be held in the Assembly premises.