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 for now, 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 the single bench to hear the challenge filed by Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, an MLA belonging to the TMC’s Mamata Banerjee camp, against Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose’s decision to appoint Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition.
The single bench had on June 18 refused to grant any interim relief against the Speaker’s decision to appoint Banerjee as the LoP.
Chattopadhyay subsequently appealed before the division bench against the single bench’s refusal. The veteran TMC leader had moved the high court challenging the rejection of his name and Banerjee’s appointment as the Leader of Opposition.
The single bench has now been directed to decide the challenge within two months.
