Madan Mitra, among Mamata Banerjee’s oldest lieutenants, joins rebels

4 min readUpdated: Jul 15, 2026 04:31 PM IST

Madan Mitra, one of Mamata Banerjee’s oldest and closest associates, who stood by her even before the formation of the Trinamool Congress, joined the rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee Wednesday.

The move comes a day after the Enforcement Directorate summoned Mitra’s wife and two sons in connection with the alleged municipality recruitment scam.

Mitra visited the West Bengal Assembly and met with the rebel Trinamool Congress group, including MLAs like Ritabrata, Akkhuzaman, and Sandipan Saha.

“This is a signal for change, for a storm. I am in the Trinamool Congress. I just stepped out of one room and stepped into another. I have resigned from all posts (Mamata Banerjee camp). Today, I held the hand of Ritabrata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress,” Mitra said after the meeting.

Ritabrata Banerjee said they welcome him to the faction. “Fight of the collective against the personal cult. He is a senior leader. This proved we are the real TMC.”

His exit from the Mamata Banerjee camp follows another loyalist, Chandrima Bhattacharya, joining the rebels on July 4.

Mitra’s move comes at a time when Mamata is cornered politically, with 60 of her 80 MLAs choosing Howrah Madhya MLA Arup Roy as the party chairperson and the rebel camp “capturing” the party headquarters in Kolkata.

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The rebel camp has also laid claim to the party symbol and bank accounts, stating that it is the ‘real TMC’ before the Election Commission of India, a claim the Mamata camp is fiercely resisting.

Of Mamata Banerjee’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs, 20 have also broken away from the party, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, to merge with the little-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).

Charges against Abhishek Banerjee

Mitra also targeted Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s Lok Sabha MP and all-India general secretary.

“I have respect for Mamata Banerjee, but I don’t support the manner in which the party was run. We wanted to run the party differently after the Assembly poll loss. The BJP cannot be defeated by Abhishek Banerjee. Behaving like Hitler, he gets down from the plane and gives orders. In such a way, the party cannot be saved,” Mitra, an MLA from Kamarhati and one of the joint state general secretaries of Mamata Banerjee-led party, said.

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“What has happened to our party is because of Abhishek Banerjee. Workers are on the streets because of him. He should have resigned. I fear him more than ED. ED will interrogate me, but Abhishek will throw me somewhere. I have already spent time in jail,” he added.

When asked about ED summons, Mitra said, “My family members have been called by ED. They will cooperate with the investigation. My decision has nothing to do with that”.

From Youth Congress to Cabinet

Mitra began his political journey with the Youth Congress, the Congress’s youth wing, before joining Mamata Banerjee to help build the Trinamool Congress in 1998. One of the oldest lieutenants of Mamata Banerjee, Mitra was with her when she was Youth Congress president in Bengal.

Mitra previously served as the state’s minister for sports and transport during the early years of the TMC government.

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Mitra was arrested and spent 22 months in jail during the Saradha Chit Fund probe before receiving bail.

On Tuesday, ED summoned his wife, Archana and his two sons, Swarup and Subhurup, in connection with the municipality recruitment scam. They have been called by ED on July 22 and 23 at its CGO complex office. Before this, the ED searched Mitra’s residence and office.

Ravik Bhattacharya is a highly experienced and award-winning journalist currently serving as the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, Ravik possesses deep expertise across a wide range of critical subjects and geographical areas.

Experience & Authority

Current Role: Chief of Bureau, The Indian Express, Kolkata.

Expertise: Extensive reporting across West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and the Andaman Nicobar Islands. Ravik specializes in politics, crime, major incidents and issues, and investigative stories, demonstrating a robust command of complex and sensitive subjects.

Experience: His long and distinguished career includes key reporting roles at several prestigious publications, including The Asian Age, The Statesman, The Telegraph, and The Hindustan Times. Ravik's current role marks his second stint with The Indian Express, having previously served as a Principal Correspondent in the Kolkata bureau from 2005 to 2010.

Major Award: Ravik's authority and quality of work are substantiated by his winning of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for Political Reporting.

Education: His strong academic foundation includes a Bachelor's degree with English Honours from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University, and a PG Diploma in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University.

Ravik Bhattacharya's extensive tenure, specialized beat coverage, and notable award confirm his status as a trusted and authoritative voice in Indian journalism, particularly for stories emanating from Eastern India. ... Read More

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