Big Blow To Mamata: Rebel TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee To Continue As LoP As Calcutta HC Refuses To Stay Appointment

Kolkata: In a significant development amid the ongoing political turmoil within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Calcutta High Court on Thursday refused to pass any interim order on a petition challenging the West Bengal Assembly Speaker's decision to recognise expelled party leader Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP).

Justice Krishna Rao directed the concerned parties to file affidavits in opposition within three weeks and replies within two weeks thereafter. The matter has been listed for further hearing on July 28.

With the court declining to grant any interim relief, the Speaker's decision recognising Banerjee as LoP will remain in force for now, allowing him to continue in the post during the upcoming Budget Session of the Assembly.

The petition was filed by senior TMC leader Sobhondeb Chattopadhyay, who challenged Speaker Rathindra Bose's decision to appoint Banerjee as the LoP amid an unprecedented rebellion within the ruling party.

The legal battle comes against the backdrop of a major split in the Trinamool Congress. A group of 58 TMC MLAs has formed a separate faction inside the West Bengal Assembly, with Banerjee emerging as its leader. The Speaker subsequently recognised him as the Leader of the Opposition, a move that has triggered intense political and legal controversy.

The rebellion is not limited to the Assembly. In the Lok Sabha, a section of TMC MPs led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has reportedly merged with the Tripura-based Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The MPs have also written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking a separate seating arrangement in the House, signalling a widening rift within the party.

Reacting to the High Court's order, TMC MP and advocate Kalyan Banerjee said the court had merely admitted the petition and had not granted any interim relief.

"The High Court has not passed any interim order, but it admitted the petition. Directions for filing affidavits have been given and the matter will come up for final hearing. The final hearing will be held in July," Banerjee said.

Meanwhile, Ritabrata Banerjee has continued to project confidence amid the political showdown. Earlier this week, the expelled leader backed calls for a floor test in the Assembly to settle questions surrounding the strength of rival factions.

"If the Speaker feels a floor test needs to happen, let there be a floor test. Once the floor test takes place, all this endless rhetoric and cross-talk will come to an end," Banerjee said, arguing that such a move would provide clarity on the actual support enjoyed by the competing camps.

The High Court's refusal to stay the Speaker's decision offers temporary relief to Banerjee and the rebel camp, but the larger legal and political battle over the legitimacy of the faction and its claim to opposition status is far from over. All eyes will now be on the July 28 hearing, when the court is expected to take up the matter after receiving responses from all stakeholders.

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