HC refuses to interfere with Bengal Speaker appointing Ritabrata as LoP
The Calcutta High Court has declined to intervene in the West Bengal Speaker's decision to appoint Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition. The court directed a single bench to resolve the ongoing dispute regarding the appointment within two months while maintaining the current status quo.
Why it matters
The ruling impacts the legislative stability of the West Bengal Assembly and highlights internal power struggles within the Trinamool Congress.
The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday (August 18, 2026) refused to interfere with the decision of the Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Rathindra Bose, to appoint Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition (LoP).
A division bench of Justice Shampa Sarkar and Justice Ajay Kumar Gupta ruled that the single bench of Justice Krishna Rao will have to dispose of the case within two months.
Earlier, Justice Rao had refused to grant a stay on the Speaker’s order appointing Mr. Ritabrata as the LoP, following which the petitioners approached the division bench.
While the court noted that the best course of action for the Speaker would have been to invite both parties before making the decision, it said that at present no interim relief could be granted to “maintain orderliness of the House”. The court also mentioned that the order of the Speaker was temporary.
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