The Trinamool Congress, a major political party in West Bengal, has appointed Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, an experienced leader and MLA from Ballygunge, as the Leader of Opposition in the 18th West Bengal Legislative Assembly. At 82 years old, Chattopadhyay previously served as the State Minister of Agriculture and Parliamentary Affairs. The party will also have Firhad Hakim, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor, as its Chief Whip in the Assembly. Two deputy leaders of Opposition, Asima Patra from Dhanekhali and Nayna Bandyopadhya from Chowringhee, will support Chattopadhyay in leading the party's 80 MLAs. This restructuring comes as party chairperson Mamata Banerjee will not be present in the House due to her loss in the recent Assembly elections from Bhabanipur. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured a significant majority, winning 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly. Chattopadhyay emphasized the party's commitment to being a strong and vocal opposition in both West Bengal and Delhi. A special session of the Assembly is expected soon to administer oaths to the newly elected MLAs.