Bengal govt appoints Surojit Nath Mitra as new Advocate General
Kolkata, May 29
Senior Advocate Surojit Nath Mitra has been appointed as the new Advocate General of West Bengal.
He succeeds Kishore Datta, who tendered his resignation from the chair on May 5, a day after the results of the recently conducted West Bengal Assembly elections were announced.
Practising for over four decades as a legal practitioner since 1983, Mitra's expertise has been in civil and commercial law.
The judicial department of West Bengal issued a notification announcing the appointment of Mitra as the new Advocate General.
"In exercise of power conferred by Clause (1) of Article 165 of the Constitution of India, the Governor is hereby pleased to appoint Shri Surojit Nath Mitra, Senior Advocate, High Court, Calcutta, to be the Advocate General for the State of West Bengal on usual terms and conditions, until further orders, with effect from the afternoon of 29th May," read the notification issued by the Principal Secretary to the state judicial department.
As Advocate General during the major part of the previous Trinamool Congress regime, Mitra's predecessor Kishore Datta had a quite eventful term.
He was appointed as West Bengal's Advocate General twice during the last 15 years of the Trinamool Congress regime since 2011.
An extremely close confidant of outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Datta resigned when the state government was on the back foot due to the post‑poll violence case following the 2021 Assembly elections. Then, Soumendranath Mukherjee took charge as the Advocate General.
However, in November 2023, Mukherjee suddenly resigned from the chair, following which Datta was appointed West Bengal's Advocate General for the second term.
Datta's resignation from the chair of Advocate General on May 5 coincided with the development when advocates from the legal cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) approached the Calcutta High Court's Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, requesting his intervention to put on hold verdicts and orders in state‑related cases till the formation of the new state cabinet.
Soon after that, it was confirmed that Datta had tendered his resignation from the chair of West Bengal's Advocate General.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Four decades of practice is no joke. Mitra sahab has earned this position. But let's not pretend this isn't political – Advocate Generals in Bengal have always been close to the ruling party. Kishore Datta was Mamata Banerjee's confidant, and now Mitra will likely play a similar role. At least the legal system needs continuity.
The revolving door of Advocate Generals in Bengal is concerning. Datta resigned twice, Mukherjee resigned suddenly – now Mitra. Something seems off with the legal ecosystem here. The post-poll violence cases and BJP's intervention make me wonder if the state's legal affairs are being handled properly. We need a strong, independent AG.
Article 165 of the Constitution gives the Governor this power, so it's legally sound. But what worries me is the pattern: resignations happening right after elections and when BJP lawyers make noise. Is the state's legal team being pressured from both sides? Mitra is highly respected in Calcutta High Court, so let's hope he brings stability. 🙏
I've seen Mitra argue in court – he's sharp and knows his stuff. But why does every AG in Bengal have a short tenure? First Datta, then Mukherjee, then Datta again, now Mitra. This musical chairs is not good for legal continuity. The state needs an AG who can serve for a full term without political drama.
Classic Bengal politics – everything becomes about Mamata vs BJP. Kishore Datta was excellent but clearly caught in the crossfire. Mitra has the expertise
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