Former West Bengal minister Madan Mitra has joined the rebel Trinamool Congress camp led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee. The move follows an Enforcement Directorate summons to his family members over an alleged municipal recruitment scam.
Mitra, born into a business family in south Kolkata, studied history at Calcutta University and entered politics in the 1970s through student activism linked to the Congress. He later built a strong local network in south Kolkata by leading unions of taxi drivers and hospital staff.
After Mamata Banerjee founded the Trinamool Congress in 1998, Mitra became a founding member and rose to senior organisational roles, including general secretary and youth wing president. He won the Kamarhati assembly seat in 2011 and served in the state cabinet with portfolios in sports and transport.
His career faced a setback in 2014 when he was arrested in the Saradha chit fund case. He spent more than two years in custody before securing bail and returned to the assembly in 2021 and again in 2026.
Known for colourful attire and active social media presence, Mitra announced his departure from the main TMC, citing concerns over the influence of Abhishek Banerjee. Ritabrata Banerjee welcomed him, while BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya noted his long association with the party.
