Calcutta HC refuses relief to Mamata camp, Ritabrata to continue as Bengal LoP

The Calcutta High Court's division bench refused interim relief to the TMC in its challenge to rebel MLA Ritabrata Banerjee's appointment as West Bengal Leader of Opposition. The matter was sent back to a single bench, which must decide within two months. Ritabrata will continue as LoP meanwhile.West Bengal LoP Ritabrata Banerjee claims to be the leader of the real Trinamool Congress. (File photo)The Calcutta High Court's division bench on Tuesday refused to grant any interim relief to the Trinamool Congress in its challenge to the appointment of rebel party MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly. The division bench said Ritabrata will continue in the post until a single judge decides the matter afresh.A bench of Justices Shampa Sardar and Ajay Kumar Gupta directed that the case be placed before a single bench, which will have to decide within two months whether Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose's decision to appoint Ritabrata as Leader of Opposition was valid.The case arose from a petition filed by TMC MLA and Mamata Banerjee loyalist Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, whose name had originally been proposed by the party for the post of Leader of Opposition. Chattopadhyay challenged the Speaker's decision to reject his nomination and appoint Banerjee instead.Earlier, on June 18, a single bench of Justice Krishna Rao had declined to stay the Speaker's decision. Chattopadhyay then moved the division bench seeking relief against that order. The division bench has now sent the matter back to the single bench for a final decision within the stipulated two-month period, while allowing Ritabrata Banerjee to continue as Leader of Opposition in the meantime.- EndsPublished By: Sayan GangulyPublished On: Aug 18, 2026 18:53 IST