Bengal: Fresh SC Plea Against 10 Rebel TMC Legislators

Kolkata, October 23: In a renewed legal move, Trinamool Congress leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Friday, urging that 10 rebel legislators led by Ritabrata Banerjee be disqualified.

The petition names Opposition Leader Ritabrata Banerjee and former KMC mayor Firhad Hakim among those whose disqualification is sought. It challenges Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose's failure to decide on the matter and makes the 10 rebel MLAs respondents. The case is likely to be heard next week.

This marks Chattopadhyay's second trip to the top court on the issue. He had first filed for the dismissal of these legislators in September.

On September 28, the Supreme Court observed that any such application before the West Bengal Assembly Speaker should be disposed of within three months, and it hoped the Speaker would comply with that timeframe.

The first application by the faction backing Mamata Banerjee was placed before the Speaker on July 8, putting the deadline at October 8. As the Speaker has not yet issued a ruling, the matter has returned to the Supreme Court.

The other rebel MLAs facing disqualification demands are Sandipan Saha, Arup Roy, Shiuli Saha, Akhtarujjaman, Sabina Yasmin, Rathin Ghosh, Biplab Mitra and Javed Ahmed Khan. The Assembly's Principal Secretary has also been made a party to the case. Chattopadhyay is seeking action under the anti-defection law.