Trinamool nominates Sobhandeb as Opposition leader, Firhad as Chief Whip

Trinamool Congress on Saturday, May 9, 2026, nominated senior party leader and Ballygunge MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of Opposition in the 18th West Bengal Legislative Assembly.

Mr Chattopadhyay, 82, previously served as Minister of State for Agriculture and Parliamentary Affairs.

In a press release signed by Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, he said the party will have two deputy Opposition leaders in the Assembly: Dhanekhali MLA Asima Patra and Chowringhee. MLA Nayna Bandyopadhya.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor and Kolkata Port MLA Firhad Hakim has been nominated as Trinamool Chief Whip in the Assembly.

Party president Mamata Banerjee will not be in the Assembly as she lost the Assembly elections in Bhabanipur. The responsibility of leading the 80 MLAs in the Trinamool Congress will rest with Mr. Chattopadhyay. During the day, the party chief said: “We will continue to be a strong, vocal and uncompromising opposition in both Delhi and West Bengal.”

It looks like a special session of Parliament will soon be convened where newly elected MPs will be sworn in. The BJP won 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly.