Supreme Court directs Calcutta High Court to rule on Trinamool MLA disqualification plea

A bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday disposed of a plea filed by Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, a faction leader within the Trinamool Congress party led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, directing him to seek redressal through the Calcutta High Court.

The petition had sought directions from the apex court regarding the disqualification of rebel Trinamool MLAs, a matter that has remained contentious within the party. By disposing of the plea, the Supreme Court essentially declined to intervene at the highest judicial level in the matter.

Chattopadhyay has now been instructed to approach the Calcutta High Court with his petition, where the matter will be examined on its merits. The decision reflects the Supreme Court's preference for allowing high courts to handle issues of a primarily regional or state-specific nature.

The disqualification of rebel MLAs typically falls under the purview of the Election Commission and state legislative procedures, making the Calcutta High Court the appropriate forum for judicial review of such matters. The high court will now have the opportunity to examine the grounds and validity of any disqualification proceedings initiated against the rebel legislators.