The court further noted that the notice expelling Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha was also under challenge.
MLAs backing Mr. Ritabrata Banerjee described the order as a moral victory.
Mr. Ritabrata Banerjee and Mr. Saha were expelled after making a formal complaint.
On June 3, Mr. Ritabrata Banerjee was recognised as the Leader of the Opposition by the Speaker with the support of 58 MLAs.
Mr. Ritabrata Banerjee now claims the support of 65 of the party’s 80 MLAs.
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday (June 18, 2026) refused to stay West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose’s decision recognising rebel Trinamool Congress MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition instead of Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, who was nominated for the post by the party leadership.
“The Court did not find any prima facie case and balance of convenience and inconvenience in favour of the petitioner for grant of interim order as prayed for by the petitioner, accordingly, interim order is refused,” an order passed by Justice Krishna Rao said.
The court, however, called for affidavits from all parties to examine the larger question of whether the Speaker had acted within the ambit of his powers while recognising the Leader of the Opposition.
Justice Rao was hearing a petition filed by Mr. Chattopadhyay, whom Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had nominated as the Leader of the Opposition.
The court noted the June 3, 2026 order through which the Speaker recognised respondent No. 5, Ritabrata Banerjee, as the Leader of the Opposition. Justice Rao observed that the Speaker had conducted an inquiry and found that the resolution submitted by the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, was under dispute with regard to the signatures appearing on it. The court further noted that the notice expelling Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha was also under challenge.
The High Court’s order came on the day the Budget session of the West Bengal Assembly commenced with an address by Governor R.N. Ravi. MLAs backing Mr. Ritabrata Banerjee described the order as a moral victory.
The Trinamool Congress had won 80 of the 294 seats in the West Bengal Assembly elections. While a letter was sent by the party’s general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, nominating Mr. Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition, a group of MLAs led by Mr. Ritabrata Banerjee alleged that their signatures on the letter had been forged.
Mr. Ritabrata Banerjee and Mr. Saha were expelled after making a formal complaint. On June 3, Mr. Ritabrata Banerjee was recognised as the Leader of the Opposition by the Speaker with the support of 58 MLAs. Mr. Ritabrata Banerjee now claims the support of 65 of the party’s 80 MLAs.
The West Bengal CID is probing allegations of signature forgery, and Mr. Abhishek Banerjee has been questioned in connection with the matter.
