The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday approached the Calcutta High Court, contesting Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose's decision to designate Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition, bypassing Sovandeb Chattopadhyay. The matter was presented before Justice Krishna Rao by advocate Sirsanya Banerjee. Chattopadhyay is the petitioner, and the hearing is scheduled for June 11.
Background of the Dispute
The legal challenge follows an episode where 58 out of 80 TMC MLAs backed Ritabrata Banerjee, staking a claim to the opposition benches in the West Bengal Assembly. The Speaker accepted this claim, ruling that the expulsions of Banerjee and rebel MLA Sandipan Saha were invalid under the party's constitution. The TMC has labeled the Speaker's decision as illegal and is expected to argue in court that an expelled member cannot be recognized as the Leader of the Opposition. The party may also question the Speaker's interpretation of its constitution and the legality of Banerjee's appointment.
Reactions and Statements
In a statement to ANI on Friday, Ritabrata Banerjee mentioned that he had not communicated with any MPs over the past week and refrained from speculating on future political developments. "I have not spoken to any parliamentarians in the last seven days. So I can't say what parliamentarians would do. But I live in the now. Nobody can say what will happen tomorrow. Have patience. A lot can happen," he said. Earlier, Banerjee claimed that more than two-thirds of the TMC's elected MLAs supported his faction, and the Speaker had accepted their claim as the "principal opposition" in the 18th West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
This court move marks the latest development in the political crisis facing the 28-year-old party founded by Mamata Banerjee. While the rebel camp has portrayed its revolt as a challenge to the growing influence of Abhishek Banerjee within the organization, it has continued to project Mamata Banerjee as a guiding figure, revealing divisions within the dissident group.
