SUPREME COURT EXPECTS BENGAL SPEAKER TO DECIDE MLA DISQUALIFICATION PLEAS BY OCTOBER 8

September 28, 2026

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the West Bengal Assembly Speaker, Rathindra Nath Bose, to decide on disqualification petitions filed against 10 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators by October 8, reiterating the three-month timeline established in an earlier judgment.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana referred to its 2020 ruling in Keisham Meghachandra Singh v. Speaker, Manipur Legislative Assembly, which held that Speakers exercise tribunal-like powers while deciding disqualification petitions and must deliver decisions within a reasonable period.

The petitions were filed by senior TMC leader Sohandeb Chattopadhyay in July against 10 legislators who joined a rival faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee. The dispute followed an internal split in the party after the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, with the rival group challenging the leadership of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction.

During the hearing, the Supreme Court declined a request to keep the matter pending, observing that its earlier judgment had already established the relevant timeframe. The court disposed of the petition while expressing the expectation that the Speaker would comply with the prescribed timeline.

The direction places the Speaker under a defined deadline to determine the disqualification petitions, which concern the legislators’ conduct and their continued eligibility as members of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.