The Calcutta High Court on Thursday declined to issue any interim relief in a petition contesting the West Bengal Assembly Speaker's decision to recognize expelled Trinamool Congress leader Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition. Justice Krishna Rao directed all parties involved to complete the exchange of affidavits, granting three weeks for filing responses and an additional two weeks for rejoinders. The matter is scheduled to be heard again on July 28.

As no temporary order was passed, the Speaker's decision recognizing Banerjee as the Opposition leader will continue to remain in effect until further proceedings. The dispute comes amid an ongoing political rift within the Trinamool Congress. According to reports, 58 TMC legislators have formed a separate group in the West Bengal Assembly, following which Speaker Rathindra Bose acknowledged Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition.

The developments are not limited to the state assembly. In Parliament, a group comprising nearly two-thirds of the party's Lok Sabha MPs, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, has reportedly joined the Tripura-based Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The faction has also approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking separate seating arrangements in the House.

Commenting on the High Court's decision, TMC MP and senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee clarified that while the court did not grant interim relief, it accepted the petition for consideration. He noted that directions have been issued for filing affidavits and that the matter will proceed toward a final hearing, which is expected to take place in July.

Ritabrata Banerjee recently voiced support for conducting a floor test in the West Bengal Assembly amid growing speculation surrounding the political situation. He argued that such an exercise would settle questions regarding legislative support and bring clarity to the ongoing debate. Banerjee stated that if the Speaker considers a floor test necessary, it should be conducted without delay. According to him, the move would conclusively determine the strength of various factions and put an end to the competing claims and political commentary currently dominating public discourse.