Madan Mitra Joins Rebel Faction, Further Erodes Mamata Banerjee's Support Base

Mamata Banerjee Faces Another Setback

On Wednesday, the political landscape in West Bengal shifted as senior Trinamool Congress leader and former minister Madan Mitra aligned himself with the rebel faction, further diminishing the loyalist circle around former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Following the departures of Firhad Hakim, Jyotipriyo Mallick, and Chandrima Bhattacharya, Mitra's exit marks a significant blow to Banerjee's leadership. Amid ongoing tensions regarding the event scheduled for July 21, he visited the assembly and officially joined the dissident group. Previously, Banerjee had appointed him to a key position within the party.

Mitra was a member of the national working committee of Trinamool and had also been designated as the state general secretary. However, the MLA from Kamarhati announced his resignation from all party positions today. He drove himself to the assembly this morning and subsequently held discussions with Ritabrata Banerjee, Sandipan Saha, and Akrujjaman. Sitting next to Ritabrata, he revealed his decision to part ways with Mamata, attributing the party's current plight to one individual—Abhishek Banerjee.

Mitra's Critique of Party Leadership

Madan Mitra expressed his concerns, stating that he had advised Abhishek Banerjee to step aside for six months to a year to strengthen the party, suggesting that he could return afterward. However, Abhishek refused, insisting, 'I will not leave the party.' Mitra lamented, 'The party is sinking; the boat has already capsized. People are suffering. Yet, the party has decided—rather, has been forced to accept—that it is more important to save Abhishek than to address the broader issues at hand. This is truly unfortunate.'

He emphasized that while the party should belong to everyone, it seems to have become solely focused on serving Abhishek's interests. Mitra urged Mamata to view the situation as a marathon, suggesting that they would eventually meet along the way to see who emerges victorious. He confirmed that he has resigned from all positions but remains an MLA, indicating that he has severed ties with Trinamool in terms of responsibilities, effectively stating that he is no longer functioning as a party MLA.

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