Calcutta High Court questions Speaker's appointment of Opposition leader

Calcutta High Court on Wednesday raised questions over the appointment process of the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, asking how the Speaker decided between two separate proposals from the same political party.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Shobhaprasad Chatterjee challenging the rejection of his name and the appointment of fellow TMC legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as Opposition leader. Justice Krishna Rao observed that when the Speaker received two conflicting proposals, he could not have decided which was correct "without proving majority in the House".

The judge questioned the Speaker's counsel on the timeline of events, noting that Chatterjee's nomination was sent on May 20, while the objection from two rebel legislators came on May 27. The court sought clarity on the Speaker's duties and powers in such extraordinary circumstances.