Backing the demand of the “untainted” candidates of the 2016 school teachers recruitment exam, the BJP on Monday said that it would back the TMC government if it brings a Bill or ordinance to retain the “untainted” teachers in school jobs during the ongoing three-day special session.

Speaking to mediapersons after meeting Suman Biswas, a key leader of the “untainted” group of teachers opposing the re-examination on the ground that it is unfair to them, Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said: “Since the list of tainted candidates is out, why should they (untainted) have to give exams? If the state government brings a Bill or Ordinance to give back the jobs of the untainted candidates, then we will support this.”

Adhikari said he advised the chief whip of the BJP legislative party, Shankar Ghosh, to write to Speaker Biman Banerjee requesting a 30-minute slot to discuss the matter on September 4, the scheduled final day of the current Assembly session.

“I will personally write to the state Chief Secretary Manoj Pant before the end of the day today and urge him to move the Supreme Court once again, this time armed with this unanimous all-party assembly resolution and pray before the top court to consider allowing the untainted teachers to retain their jobs,” Adhikari said.

He said that if vacancies still persist, the state should go ahead and fill them up by means of an exam conducted through a transparent process.

Speaking to a group of “untainted” teachers who had come to meet political leaders, Adhikari said: “I understand that it would be difficult for you to start preparing afresh for the exams that you already took nine years ago. That’s why we are trying to solve the crisis along with the government.”

The agitating teachers also met lone ISF MLA Naushad Siddiqui.

In April, the Supreme Court ordered the sacking of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff at the government-aided schools at the secondary and higher secondary levels, calling the 2016 SSC recruitment process “vitiated and tainted.”

Later, the Supreme Court allowed “untainted” candidates to receive salaries till December, and directed the Commission to identify and release the list of ‘tainted’ candidates who have been barred from reappearing in the fresh recruitment drive.

On Saturday, the WBSSC released a list of 1,806 “tainted” candidates.

On one hand, the BJP has been targeting the Mamata Banerjee-led government over the corruption in the recruitment, even accusing the CM of being the “mastermind of the scam”, it has largely backed the candidates.

After the Supreme Court upheld the Calcutta High Court’s verdict to dismiss almost 26,000 teachers and non-teaching staff, the BJP slammed the ruling TMC.

In 2022, Adhikari threatened to launch an agitation in support of those whose services were terminated over the teachers’ recruitment scam in the state and march to the residence of CM Mamata Banerjee to get back the money they paid to secure their jobs.