No relief for Mamata camp as High Court allows Ritabrata to continue as LoP for now
· India · Indian Express, The Independent, PBS
The Calcutta High Court denied an interim stay in a petition that challenged the Assembly Speaker’s decision to appoint Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of Opposition (LoP). A Division Bench ordered the single judge bench to decide Sobhandeb Chatterjee’s challenge within two months, keeping Banerjee as the interim LoP until then. Banerjee heads a group of rebel TMC MLAs that claim it is the “real TMC” and alleges forged signatures on the letter supporting Sobhandeb. The Bench noted the Speaker’s appointment was an interim decision and will review all affidavits before ruling. Banerjee’s appointment follows a police FIR and a CID probe into the forged signatures claim. The case remains open for a final decision on Banerjee’s legitimacy as LoP.
Why it matters
The ruling keeps a rival faction in the Assembly’s opposition leadership, affecting the TMC’s internal power balance and the stability of the West Bengal government. It also signals that court intervention will take time, leaving the TMC’s leadership dispute unresolved for at least two months.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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