In a significant political development, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday upheld the recognition of Ritabrata Bandyopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, refusing to interfere with the decision taken earlier by Speaker Rathindra Bose. The ruling comes as a major setback for the faction led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which had challenged the Speaker’s decision in court.
With this verdict, the High Court has effectively validated the claim of the breakaway bloc within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Legislature Party.
The internal rift within the TMC deepened following the 2026 Assembly election results, culminating in the formation of a separate group led by Ritabrata and Sandipan Saha. The faction claimed the support of 65 MLAs and asserted that there were sufficient grounds for recognising Ritabrata as the Leader of the Opposition. Acting on their submission, Speaker Bose had formally endorsed their claim.
However, the Mamata camp had named Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as its choice for the post, triggering a legal battle. The dispute intensified further amid allegations of signature forgery within the Assembly, with Ritabrata’s faction asserting that they represented the “real” TMC.
Mamata and Sovandeb subsequently moved the Calcutta High Court, with senior party leader and MP Kalyan Banerjee representing their case. Despite their arguments, the court declined to overturn the Speaker’s decision.
During the hearing on Wednesday, the High Court raised several critical questions regarding the sequence of events. The bench sought clarification on why the Speaker did not act immediately upon receiving the first letter from the Trinamool faction, but proceeded swiftly after receiving a second communication. The court also questioned whether the authenticity of the initial letter had been verified and whether the petitioners were given a fair opportunity to present their case.
The proceedings also examined allegations of signature forgery, party resolutions, and expulsions. Notably, the court observed that merely filing a complaint does not establish proof of forgery.
Amid the ongoing political turmoil, the court’s final verdict confirmed Ritabrata as the Leader of the Opposition, reinforcing the Speaker’s earlier decision.
Following the ruling, Ritabrata issued a strong statement, asserting that his faction represents the legitimate Trinamool Congress Legislature Party. He claimed that nearly 98 per cent of the party’s MLAs support his group and challenged the opposing camp to a floor test or vote of confidence to settle the matter definitively.
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