The Calcutta High Court on Thursday refused to grant interim relief to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in its challenge against the appointment of rebel MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly. The decision allows Banerjee to continue holding the position until the matter is heard further by the court.

The ruling comes as a setback for Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, whose party had challenged the Assembly Speaker’s decision to recognise Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition. Since the court declined to stay the Speaker’s order, Banerjee will remain in office while the legal proceedings continue.

Justice Krishna Rao was hearing a petition filed by senior TMC leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, who is considered a close associate of Mamata Banerjee. During the hearing, the court found no immediate grounds to interfere with the Speaker’s decision.

Refusing to grant interim relief, the court observed that it did not find any prima facie case in favour of the petitioner. “The interim order is refused," the Bench said.

The High Court also directed all parties involved in the case to submit their affidavits within three weeks. The matter has now been listed for further hearing on July 28.

The court’s decision comes at a time when the Trinamool Congress is dealing with internal divisions following its defeat in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections. The dispute over the Leader of the Opposition post has become one of the biggest signs of unrest within the party.

According to the petition filed before the court, the TMC legislature party had elected senior leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition during a meeting held on May 6, two days after the Assembly election results were declared. Following the meeting, the party formally informed the Assembly Speaker about its decision.

The Speaker later asked the party to provide a formal resolution along with the minutes of the legislature party meeting. In response, the TMC convened another meeting on May 19 and prepared the required documents. The party then submitted the resolution and attendance records to the Speaker’s office to support its claim for the Opposition leader’s post.

The petition argued that despite receiving all the necessary documents from the TMC legislature party, the Speaker did not take any decision in favour of the party’s nominee. This became a key point of contention in the legal challenge.

The political controversy intensified on June 3 when the Trinamool Congress witnessed its first split since the party was formed 28 years ago. A group of 58 rebel MLAs broke away from the party’s official legislature wing, creating a major challenge for the party leadership.

The rebel legislators elected expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as their leader and sought formal recognition from Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose. The Speaker subsequently recognised the rebel group, a move that paved the way for Banerjee’s appointment as the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.

The recognition of the rebel faction and Banerjee’s appointment triggered a fresh political battle within the TMC. The party challenged the Speaker’s decision before the Calcutta High Court, arguing that its own legislature party had already selected Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay for the post and had completed all procedural requirements.

However, with the High Court refusing to grant any interim stay on the Speaker’s order, Ritabrata Banerjee will continue to function as the Leader of the Opposition for now. The final outcome of the dispute will depend on the court’s decision after examining the affidavits and arguments from all parties during the next phase of the hearing.

The case is expected to remain politically significant as it not only concerns the Opposition leader’s post but also highlights the growing internal conflict within the Trinamool Congress after its electoral setback. The matter will come up again before the Calcutta High Court on July 28.