The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) party on Monday approached the Calcutta High Court, challenging the decision of West Bengal Legislative Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose recognising Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly.
The matter was mentioned today before the single-judge Bench of Justice Krishna Rao by Senior Advocate Sirsanya Bandopadhyay, a former AITC candidate, seeking judicial review of the Speaker’s decision and recognition of AITC nominee Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as LoP in the state Assembly. The High Court directed that the matter be listed for hearing on June 11.
AITC questioned the legality and procedural validity of the Speaker’s decision, contending that the recognition of Banerjee as LoP was contrary to established parliamentary conventions, legislative practices and applicable procedural norms governing the functioning of the Assembly.
The dispute arose from an unprecedented split within the AITC legislature party. A group of rebel MLAs last week elected Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition and subsequently secured formal recognition from the Speaker. Reports indicate that 58 MLAs supported Banerjee’s candidature, following which Speaker Rathindra Bose accorded official recognition to him as the LoP in the Assembly.
The decision triggered strong opposition from the party leadership, which resolved to challenge the recognition before the High Court. AITC leaders maintained that the decision was inconsistent with established parliamentary procedures and the rules governing recognition of legislative party leadership within the House.
The Speaker has reportedly defended his decision by stating that the faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee possessed the requisite numerical strength required for recognition. It has also been reported that the Speaker took the view that the expulsion proceedings initiated by the party against certain legislators did not conform to the requirements prescribed under the party’s own constitution and internal rules.
The controversy was further complicated by allegations concerning forged signatures on a resolution purportedly supporting the appointment of Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as the LoP. The allegations are presently the subject matter of a separate criminal investigation.
The post AITC moves Calcutta High Court challenging recognition of Ritabrata Banerjee as LoP in West Bengal Assembly appeared first on India Legal.