Ritabrata to Remain Leader of Opposition in Bengal Assembly
The court said that no prima facie case or balance of convenience was found to grant an interim stay. The next hearing of the case has been scheduled for July 28.
The matter relates to the Speaker’s decision to appoint Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition. TMC MLA and Mamata Banerjee’s close aide Shovandeb Chattopadhyay had approached the High Court seeking an interim stay on the Speaker’s order.
During the hearing, the court questioned why the Speaker did not act on the letter received on May 9 recommending Shovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of Opposition, but promptly accepted another letter from the rebel group on June 3 and appointed Ritabrata Banerjee.
This development comes after a major split in the Trinamool Congress following its poor performance in the Assembly elections. A large number of MLAs rebelled against the party leadership. While the party leadership proposed senior leader Shovandeb Chattopadhyay as the legislative party leader, Ritabrata Banerjee secured support of 58 MLAs and was appointed Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.
The party had earlier expelled Ritabrata Banerjee for anti-party activities. Several TMC MLAs alleged that their signatures were forged on the document submitted to the Speaker recommending Shovandeb Chattopadhyay.
The case has now become a major political controversy and is also under CID investigation, which includes Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
With the High Court refusing to stay the Speaker’s decision, Ritabrata Banerjee will continue as the Leader of Opposition for now.
