TMC vs TMC in Calcutta HC: Mamata-led faction moves court against Speaker's decision recognising Ritabrata as LoP
On June 3, the West Bengal Assembly Speaker officially elected expelled TMC legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition in the House.
The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) moved the Calcutta High Court on Monday, challenging the West Bengal Assembly Speaker's decision to recognise suspended party leader Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of the opposition in the state Assembly.
The party contended that the Speaker's decision to appoint Ritabrata Banerjee as LoP is contrary to established parliamentary norms and procedures, according to Live Law.
The petition is understood to seek judicial review of the Speaker's decision and recognition of the party's nominee, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, for the post.
The TMC's lawyer sought an urgent hearing and stated before the court that the first session of the 18th West Bengal Assembly is scheduled to begin on June 18.
Hearing on June 11
Justice Krishna Rao, before whom the matter was mentioned on grounds of urgency, directed that the petition be taken up for hearing at the top of the list on June 11, news agency PTI reported.
He directed the petitioner's lawyer to serve notice to the parties in the matter in the meantime.
The petitioner's lawyer told the court that the Speaker of the House is the main respondent in the petition.
Ritabrata Banerjee becomes LoP in West Bengal Assembly
In a major setback for the TMC, 58 of its 80 MLAs had backed Ritabrata Banerjee for the post of leader of the opposition, rejecting the party's official nominee Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay.
On June 3, the West Bengal Assembly Speaker officially elected expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition.
The revolt within the TMC began following allegations of forged signatures on a letter proposing a Leader of Opposition. It snowballed into an open challenge to the party leadership following the TMC's defeat at the hands of the BJP in the assembly elections.
Addressing a press conference in the Assembly after meeting Speaker Rathindra Bose, Ritabrata Banerjee claimed that the dissident camp enjoyed the support of a two-thirds majority of the TMC's 80 MLAs and had formally staked its claim to lead the legislature party.
"Our claim has been accepted by the Speaker," Banerjee said on June 3. Claiming legitimacy based on numbers, he asserted that the dissident faction now represented the true opposition in the House. "The TMC legislative party is a team of 58 MLAs who won on the TMC symbol," he said.
In the recent Assembly elections, the BJP won 207 seats, while the TMC secured 80.
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