The West Bengal government on Monday recommended retired Justice Rabindranath Samanta as the state’s new Lokayukta. The decision was made at an annual sitting chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a meeting distinguished as much by its constitutional formality as by the conspicuous absence of Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.
Justice Samanta, who retired as a Calcutta High Court judge in June 2023, is set to succeed Justice (Retired) Ashim Kumar Roy, who served as Lokayukta from November 2018 until August 2025, following a two-year extension granted in 2023. The new Lokayukta’s name was recommended by the panel chaired by the Chief Minister, and his appointment will now be formally made by the Governor, followed by the oath ceremony.
Monday's statutory process took place amid a deepening political rift, with Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari boycotting the meeting for the fourth consecutive year. The move appears to be symbolic of the widening gulf between the state secretariat, Nabanna, and the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
Despite receiving the formal invitation, which is sent annually as per convention, Adhikari stayed away, reiterating his refusal to sit with the Chief Minister.
"I am not attending the Lokayukta meeting. I will not sit with a chief minister who is heading a corrupt government," he had said on Friday. He added that the recent assault on BJP MP Khagen Murmu in Malda made any engagement with the ruling establishment "morally impossible."
In a subsequent letter to the government, the Nandigram MLA accused the state administration of "repeatedly violating constitutional norms," arguing that his presence would "legitimise an unconstitutional process."
The TMC dismissed the boycott as a calculated political stunt. "They talk about fighting corruption but skip meetings on Lokayukta appointments. This is the BJP's double standard on full display," a senior ruling party MLA commented.
Another Trinamool Congress functionary argued that Adhikari had turned routine constitutional procedures into political flashpoints, noting that participation in statutory committees "is a constitutional responsibility, not a political favour."
Despite the absence of the LoP, officials confirmed that the committee followed due process and unanimously cleared Justice Samanta's appointment, which is expected to be officially notified shortly.
Samanta’s career spans over three decades, including key magisterial and district postings, serving as Registrar of the Calcutta High Court, and later as Chief Judge of the City Civil Court before being elevated to the High Court bench in 2021. He currently serves as the chairperson of the West Bengal Real Estate Appellate Tribunal.
Political observers believe the confrontation around Monday's meeting was "a deliberate political signal," forming part of a larger narrative-building exercise as Bengal heads towards one of its most polarised elections in a decade.
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