HC refuses to interfere with Bengal Speaker appointing Ritabrata as LoP
The court noted that the Speaker could have invited both parties before making the decision but said that at present no interim relief could be granted to “maintain orderliness of the House”
On August 18, 2026, the Calcutta High Court denied interfering with the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Speaker's decision to appoint Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition. The court's division bench, consisting of Justice Shampa Sarkar and Justice Ajay Kumar Gupta, stated that a single bench would handle the case within two months.
Earlier, Justice Rao had denied granting a stay on the Speaker's order appointing Ritabrata as LoP, leading the petitioners to approach the division bench. The court acknowledged that the Speaker should have invited both parties before making the decision but noted that no interim relief could be granted to maintain the House's orderliness.
The appointment of Ritabrata as LoP caused a split within the Trinamool Congress legislature party, with some members supporting him and others backing Mamata Banerjee.
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