The BJP is set to form a “double engine” government with a commanding performance, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) faces a sharp fall from its 2021 tally of 216 seats. The scale of the decline has also brought renewed focus on a string of legal setbacks faced by the Mamata Banerjee government in recent years.
Even before the election results, several major cases had placed the state government under pressure. The cancellation of nearly 26,000 jobs in the SSC recruitment case and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) matter saw the state struggle in both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court. Legal experts point out that these outcomes highlighted gaps in administrative handling and legal preparedness.
How the SIR case reshaped the political landscape
The SIR case has drawn particular attention. Mamata Banerjee appeared in the Supreme Court to present arguments, yet the state’s legal team encountered difficulties across multiple hearings. Based on the submissions made, judicial officers were appointed for adjudication. The process eventually led to the exclusion of nearly 27 lakh voters, mainly from districts such as North and South 24 Parganas, Malda and Murshidabad, areas considered crucial to the party’s support base.
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The government also faced criticism in court over incidents like protests targeting judges in Malda. Other legal battles involving pending DA payments, OBC reservations, I-PAC, the transfer of IAS and IPS officers after the election schedule, and deployment of forces during polling added to the mounting challenges.
Questions grow over the state’s legal preparedness
A section of legal experts believes changes within the state’s legal system have affected its performance in court. According to them, experienced professionals were gradually replaced, impacting consistency and preparation in key cases. The effects, they say, have extended beyond individual verdicts and influenced public perception.
Former Public Prosecutor Saswata Gopal Mukherji said that after serving diligently in the role for nearly seven years, he was suddenly and almost forcibly removed in 2023. He added that the incident needed to be seen in the broader context of subsequent developments in the state’s legal system. He noted that during his tenure, he had the opportunity to advise and represent the state at some of its most challenging times, with a focus on continuity, proper preparation and institutional integrity. He further stated that the events that followed had strengthened concerns that sidelining experienced and independent legal experts had a severely damaging impact on the state’s legal standing.
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Former Government Pleader Anirban Roy added that despite efforts to strengthen institutional processes in the state and bring greater transparency to High Court proceedings, his tenure as Government Pleader was abruptly terminated. He said it became evident that political loyalty was being prioritised over independent professional opinion. He further noted that this had led to a lack of consistency and uncertain outcomes in important cases, and that public trust in the government appeared to have significantly declined.
