TMC leader Mahua Moitra challenges accommodation eviction in Delhi HC amidst expulsion from Lok Sabha

Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, recently expelled from the Lok Sabha on charges of "unethical conduct," has moved to the Delhi High Court to contest the cancellation of her government accommodation. The Delhi Directorate of Estates had issued an order on December 11, instructing Moitra to vacate her residence by January 7, 2024.

Moitra's petition, likely to be heard on Tuesday, challenges the legality of the Directorate of Estates' order, arguing that it is premature given her ongoing appeal in the Supreme Court against her expulsion from the Lok Sabha. The petition requests the court to set aside the order or, as an alternative, permit Moitra to retain possession until the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are declared.

The Trinamool Congress leader was ousted from the Lok Sabha on December 8, 2023, following allegations of accepting gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani and sharing her parliamentary website user ID and password with him. Moitra has already challenged her expulsion in the Supreme Court, with the hearing scheduled for January 3, 2024.

In her plea to the high court, Moitra contends that the Directorate of Estates' order was issued prematurely, as the validity of her expulsion is yet to be adjudicated by the Supreme Court. The petition argues that until the highest constitutional court of India determines her status, the eviction proceedings under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act 1971 should not be initiated.

Moitra, elected to the Lok Sabha from Krishnanagar constituency in West Bengal in the 2019 general elections, emphasizes her party's selection of her as its candidate for the same constituency in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Despite her expulsion, Moitra remains eligible to contest elections, and she asserts the need to concentrate on campaigning and serving her constituents.