Rival TMC camps spar over speakers' list in Assembly; CM tells Opposition to 'settle your disputes'
Controversy surfaced recently after Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, recognised by the Mamata Banerjee camp as Leader of Opposition in the House, rose to participate in the debate, but was asked to take his seat amid confusion over the authorised list of speakers
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday took a swipe at the TMC over its continuing internal feud, after rival factions of the legislative wing of the opposition party sparred in the Assembly over the list of speakers during a discussion on the Budget.
The episode once again highlighted the deepening split within the opposition ranks, with the Mamata Banerjee-led faction alleging that the names of its nominated speakers were being dropped by the rebel camp from the list submitted to the Assembly secretariat.
The controversy surfaced recently after Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, recognised by the Mamata Banerjee camp as the Leader of Opposition in the House, rose to participate in the debate, but was asked to take his seat amid confusion over the authorised list of speakers.
Soon afterwards, Kaliganj MLA Alifa Ahmed raised the issue, alleging that the names sent by her faction were being struck off, making it difficult for legislators to know in advance when they would be allowed to participate in debates.
"I want to draw the attention of the chief minister. We are sending the names of our speakers, but those names are being deleted. Every MLA has a right to know when he or she will be able to speak," she said.
Responding to the complaint, Adhikari said the government expected opposition parties to internally decide the allocation of speaking time instead of dragging the Assembly into their dispute.
"There are many parties in the House. There is the Kalighat faction of the TMC, another camp, besides the ISF, CPI(M), Congress and others. We want them to distribute the speaking time among themselves," the CM said.
"I myself served as the Leader of Opposition for five years. Our chief whip allocates speaking time in the House. You should settle your disputes among yourselves. The Chief Minister or the House is not sitting here to resolve your internal quarrels. Resolve your differences and allow the assembly to function smoothly," he added.
The latest disruption underlined the continuing uncertainty over who represents the principal opposition in the Assembly.
The Mamata Banerjee-led faction has been projecting Chattopadhyay as the Leader of Opposition, while the rival camp led by expelled TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee has elected him to the post.
The parallel claims have repeatedly created procedural complications during Assembly proceedings, with rival factions submitting separate lists of speakers.
The development comes amid an intensifying tussle between the Ritabrata-led faction and the camp loyal to former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, with both sides claiming to be the legitimate Trinamool Congress, following the party's defeat in the Assembly elections.
The first major setback for the Mamata Banerjee camp came when a majority of TMC MLAs backed Ritabrata Banerjee's claim to the post of Leader of Opposition, rejecting Chattopadhyay, who had been nominated by the party high command.
The Ritabrata camp has also met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, staking its claim over the party's organisational structure and leadership, even as the rival factions continue to battle for control of both the legislature party and the organisation.
