A day after the Trinamool Congress’ loss in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections, the state’s Advocate General, Kishore Datta, submitted his resignation on Tuesday. Datta, a close aide of outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had served two terms as West Bengal’s Advocate General during the Trinamool Congress rule since 2011. His resignation came amidst legal challenges faced by the state government post the 2021 Assembly polls.
Following the sudden resignation of Soumendranath Mukherjee in November 2023, Kishore Datta was reappointed as West Bengal’s Advocate General for the second time. Mukherjee’s departure was linked to legal setbacks encountered by the state government in the Calcutta High Court. Mukherjee had cited no specific reasons for his resignation, although reports suggested pressure from the state law minister amid legal difficulties faced by the government.
After advocates from the BJP’s legal cell approached the Calcutta High Court’s Chief Justice seeking a halt on state-related cases’ verdicts, Kishore Datta confirmed his resignation from the position of West Bengal’s Advocate General. The move follows a period of legal turmoil for the state government, with changes in key legal positions coinciding with legal challenges faced by the administration.
