Madan Mitra has been among the old loyalists of Mamata Banerjee.
| Photo Credit: File photo
In yet another setback to Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee, loyalist and MLA Madan Mitra on Wednesday (July 15, 2026) switched sides and joined the rebel camp led by the Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee.
This development comes a day after the Enforcement Directorate issued summons to him and his family members in the alleged municipal recruitment scam. Mr. Mitra, the MLA from Kamarhati, was one of the old loyalists of Ms. Banerjee and recently she had nominated him as the chief whip of the MLAs supporting her in the Assembly.
After the defeat in the West Bengal polls, several of Ms. Banerjee’s loyalists have deserted her, joining other political camps. Mr. Mitra joined the long list of leaders such as Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas and Chandrima Bhattacharya who have joined the Ritabrata Banerjee camp. Twenty of the Trinamool Lok Sabha MPs have deserted Ms. Banerjee, and three Rajya Sabha MPs have resigned only to be re-nominated to the Upper House as BJP candidates.
On Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Mitra went to the chamber of the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly and was seen sitting next to him wearing black sunglasses. He announced his resignation from all posts in the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool while sitting beside Mr. Ritabrata.
“I was in the Trinamool, I remained in the Trinamool. I just went from this room to that room,” the veteran Trinamool leader, who was also a Minister in Mamata Banerjee government, said.
Mr. Mitra said that he sent a message to the Trinamool chairperson saying “sorry” before joining the other camp. “She (Mamata Banerjee) has been by our side for a long time. We have also tried to do more or less,” he said.
Mr. Ritabrata has the support of about 65 MLAs out of the 80 Trinamool MLAs. With Mr. Mitra joining the camp, the Ms. Banerjee’s loyalists will have to choose a new chief whip in the State Assembly.
Without naming her long time associate Madan Mitra, Ms. Banerjee said that Mr. Mitra was immediately removed from all his posts soon he messaged her on Tuesday night that the Enforcement Directorate summoned his wife and two sons in connection with a money laundering probe into the municipal recruitment scam.
Published – July 15, 2026 04:26 pm IST
