TMC moves Calcutta High Court challenging Ritabrata Banerjee’s appointment as LoP

3 min readJun 8, 2026 07:43 PM IST

Banerjee’s appointment was opposed by the party leadership, which has now resolved to challenge the decision in the court. (File Photo)

The Trinamool Congress on Monday moved Calcutta High Court challenging the decision by the Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose to appoint expelled TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly.

The petition seeks judicial review of the Speaker’s decision and appointment of the party’s LoP nominee, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, as earlier decided.

The matter was mentioned by senior advocate Sirsanya Bandopadhyay before a bench of Justice Krishna Rao. The court is likely to hear the matter on June 11.

The case stems from a split within the TMC legislature party after their loss in the 2026 Assembly elections.

Last week, a group of rebel MLAs, led by expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, elected Banerjee as the LoP and secured a formal recognition from the Speaker. Reports indicate that 58 TMC MLAs backed the appointment.

Banerjee’s appointment was opposed by the party leadership, which has now resolved to challenge the decision in the court. TMC MP and senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee had earlier said the party believed the Speaker’s decision violated parliamentary procedures and applicable rules.

Signature ‘forgery’ case

Rebel TMC MLAs Ritabrata and Sandipan Saha had filed a complaint with the Speaker, alleging that the resolution nominating Chattopadhyay was manufactured and fabricated. They further claimed that no formal resolution was adopted on the said date of May 6, alleging that signatures of several MLAs had been forged.

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Following an initial inquiry by the Assembly’s Principal Secretary, an FIR was registered at the Hare Street police station, after which the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) took over the investigation.

The CID reportedly recorded statements from 13 TMC MLAs. Three of them — Baharul Islam, Arup Roy, and Subhasis Das — officially disowned the signatures attributed to them on the said document. Shortly after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari addressed the alleged discrepancies in a press conference, the TMC expelled the two complainants, MLAs Ritabrata and Saha for alleged anti-party activities.

Meanwhile on Monday, the CID served a third summons to TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee to appear before them on Tuesday in connection with the alleged signature forgery case.

As per sources, Abhishek has sent a letter to the CID seeking more time, citing that the matter is pending before the High Court, listed for hearing on June 10. Abhishek also informed the investigators that he was in Delhi for important political meetings.

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Abhishek’s counsel had earlier moved the vacation bench of the High Court challenging the CID notice issued to him.

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Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.

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Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.

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Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.

Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).

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Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More

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