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Justice Krishna Rao directed the respondents to file their affidavit-in-opposition within three weeks, with the petitioner permitted to file a reply within two weeks thereafter. The matter has been listed for further hearing on July 28. In the absence of any interim order, Banerjee will continue as the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.
The petition was filed by senior TMC leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, a loyalist of party chief Mamata Banerjee, who challenged the Speaker’s decision amid an ongoing internal crisis within the party following its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections.
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Chattopadhyay contended that after the election results were declared on May 4, a meeting of TMC MLAs held on May 6 unanimously nominated him as the Leader of Opposition and the decision was formally communicated to the Speaker. The Speaker subsequently sought a copy of the legislative party’s resolution and the minutes of the meeting, following which the TMC convened another meeting on May 19 and forwarded the resolution along with the attendance sheet.
According to the petition, despite receiving the documents, the Speaker ignored the TMC’s official communication and instead recognised Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition on the basis of support extended by a rebel faction of TMC legislators. Chattopadhyay has challenged the decision before the High Court, arguing that the Speaker failed to recognise the nominee chosen by the party’s officially elected legislators.
