TMC’s Ritabrata Banerjee to remain LoP till single bench decides issue in 2 months: Calcutta HC

Kolkata: A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed that rebel TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee will continue as the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly till a single bench decides on a petition challenging his appointment to the post within two months.

The division bench comprising Justices Shampa Sarkar and Ajay Kumar Gupta passed the interim order.

The bench directed that the single bench will hear the challenge to the decision of the Assembly Speaker by Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, an MLA belonging to the TMC’s Mamata Banerjee camp, and decide on the matter within two months.

Read more: We are THE Trinamool Congress: LoP Ritabrata Banerjee asserts faction’s authority

A single bench of the high court had refused any interim order on June 18 regarding Speaker Rathindra Bose’s decision to appoint Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition.

Chattopadhyay appealed to the division bench against the single bench’s refusal. The veteran leader moved the high court challenging the rejection of his name and the appointment of Ritabrata Banerjee as the LoP.