Calcutta HC’s order upholding Bengal Assembly Speaker’s decision accepting Ritabrata Banerjee as LoP challenged at higher bench

Kolkata, June 19 (IANS) Veteran Trinamool Congress legislator Sovandeb Chattopadhyay on Friday moved a division bench of the Calcutta High Court, challenging the order of the single-judge bench of Justice Krishna Rao of the same court, upholding the decision of the West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose accepting expelled Trinamool legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of the new majority bloc of the party in the House as well as the official Leader of Opposition (LoP).

Although, in the court order pronounced on Thursday, Justice Rao refused to give any interim direction on the Speaker’s decision to accept Ritabrata Banerjee as the LoP, he said that the matter will continue to be heard in his bench and the next hearing in the matter will be held on July 28.

However, before the next date of hearing at Justice Rao’s bench, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay had approached a division bench of the Calcutta High Court challenging the single-judge bench order.

Justice Rao directed both the petitioner and the defendant in the matter to file affidavits in the matter by the next date of hearing.

At present, there are 80 Trinamool Congress legislators in the 294-seat West Bengal Assembly. Out of the 80, a total of 60 legislators are officially in the rebel but majority bloc, which Ritabrata Banerjee claimed to be 64 earlier this week.

On the other hand, the original Trinamool bloc, who continue their allegiance to party supremo Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, has the support of just 20 legislators.

Meanwhile, a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe is already underway over alleged mismatches in the signatures of certain Trinamool legislators in the resolution submitted to the Speaker’s office nominating Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of Opposition (LoP), Asima Patra and Nayna Bandopadhyay as Deputy Leaders of the Opposition, and Firhad Hakim as the Chief Whip of the Trinamool Legislative Party in the Assembly.

The alleged mismatches were flagged by Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, prompting the CID to initiate a probe.

The Trinamool Congress immediately suspended Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, after which 60 legislators, led by the official LoP, revolted and submitted a fresh resolution, claiming to be the majority bloc in the Trinamool Legislative Party.

The Speaker accepted the fresh resolution, and Ritabrata Banerjee was officially recognised as the Leader of Opposition.

Subsequently, the petition was filed at Justice Rao’s bench challenging Speaker Rathindra Bose’s decision.

–IANS

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