India, Jan. 16 -- The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Calcutta high court order disqualifying Mukul Roy as a member of the West Bengal legislative assembly for returning to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) after getting elected on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket in 2021.

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued the order, months before the term of the assembly ends in May, and elections in the state. It sought responses from the assembly speaker Biman Banerjee and BJP lawmakers Suvendu Adhikari and Ambika Roy, who petitioned the high court for Mukul Roy's disqualification. "Let the counter affidavit be filed in four weeks and rejoinder in response within two weeks," it said.

Mukul...