The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea filed by the Trinamool Congress seeking a direction to the West Bengal Assembly Speaker to decide disqualification proceedings against rebel TMC MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee.
The Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi held that the appropriate course at this stage would be for the petitioner to approach the Calcutta High Court. It dismissed the petition with liberty to file an appropriate plea before the High Court and requested the Chief Justice to place the matter before a Division Bench for expeditious adjudication.
The petition was filed by TMC MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, who sought an early decision on disqualification proceedings initiated against ten MLAs, including Ritabrata Banerjee, who is recognised as the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly. The disqualification petitions were filed in July 2026 under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
Counsel appearing for the petitioner, submitted that the disqualification petitions had been pending since July and sought the constitution of a Division Bench to hear the matter, arguing that part of the issue was covered by an earlier judgment of the Supreme Court.
The Court, however, observed that the appropriate recourse at this stage would be to approach the Calcutta High Court. It accordingly dismissed the petition with liberty to the petitioner to file an appropriate petition before the High Court.
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“We request the Chief Justice to place the matter before a Division Bench, which shall decide the matter expeditiously,” the Court said.