Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday declined to grant interim relief against the West Bengal Assembly Speaker’s decision to recognise rebel Trinamool Congress MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly.
The court passed the order while hearing a petition filed by TMC leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, who challenged Speaker Rathindra Bose’s decision to appoint Banerjee as LoP instead of him. Chattopadhyay contended that he had been officially nominated for the post by TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and the party leadership.
The High Court, however, refused to stay the Speaker’s recognition of Banerjee at this stage. The matter has been posted for further hearing after three weeks, and all parties have been directed to file their affidavits, reported LiveLaw.
The dispute stems from an unprecedented split within the TMC legislature party following the West Bengal Assembly elections. A group of rebel legislators backed Ritabrata Banerjee for the post of Leader of the Opposition, claiming majority support within the party’s legislative wing. Based on this support, the Speaker recognised Banerjee as the LoP, a move strongly opposed by the official TMC leadership.
The party had subsequently moved the High Court, arguing that the Speaker’s decision was contrary to established parliamentary conventions and ignored the party’s official nomination of Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay. The petition sought judicial review of the Speaker’s decision and recognition of the party’s chosen candidate.
During earlier hearings, the High Court had questioned whether the Speaker could recognise a Leader of the Opposition without the consent of the political party concerned and sought clarification on the basis of the decision. The court also examined how the Speaker should act when faced with competing claims from members of the same political party.
With the court declining to grant an interim stay, Ritabrata Banerjee will continue to function as the recognised Leader of the Opposition as of now.
