In a big jolt to Mamata Banerjee, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday refused to grant any interim relief in a case challenging the Speaker’s decision to appoint Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly. The court made it clear that there would be no immediate change to the existing position.
Justice Krishna Rao, who heard the matter, directed the concerned parties to submit their affidavits. The respondents have been asked to file their affidavit in opposition within three weeks. The petitioner will then be allowed two weeks to submit a reply.
During the hearing, the court fixed the next date of hearing for July 28. Until further orders, the Speaker’s decision regarding the appointment will continue to remain in force.
Ritabrata Banerjee claims support of 64 MLAs
The political divide within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) appeared to deepen further on Friday as dissident leader Ritabrata Banerjee claimed that 64 MLAs were now backing his faction in the West Bengal Assembly. He said the names of the legislators had been submitted to Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose and suggested that a floor test could be held to settle rival claims over support within the party.
Banerjee, who leads the breakaway "New TMC" group, made the remarks after attending the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected legislators Debangshu Panda of the BJP and Swati Khandakar of the TMC in the Assembly. He also indicated that additional lawmakers could join his camp in the coming days.
The former TMC Rajya Sabha MP said the strength of his faction was likely to become clearer by early next week. According to him, discussions were continuing and more legislators were expected to extend their support to the dissident bloc.
The development follows Banerjee's earlier move to seek official recognition for his faction in the Assembly. He had submitted a list carrying the signatures of 58 MLAs, claiming the support of more than two-thirds of the TMC's strength in the House.
Along with the list, Banerjee had also requested that he be recognised as the Leader of the Opposition. The Speaker subsequently accepted the request and officially notified him as the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.
With competing claims emerging within the party, Banerjee maintained that a floor test would be the most effective way to determine the actual level of support enjoyed by the rival groups in the Assembly.
