Desertions, resignations and arrests of Trinamool Congress leaders continue in West Bengal

Published 19 June 2026 · local

Almost six weeks after facing defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, desertions, resignations, and arrests of Trinamool Congress leaders continue in the State. On

Almost six weeks after facing defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, desertions, resignations, and arrests of Trinamool Congress leaders continue in the State. On Friday (June 19, 2026), former West Bengal Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, once known to be close to party chairperson Mamata Banerjee, resigned from the party citing his failing health. Mallick was arrested in October 2023 for his alleged involvement in the public distribution scam by the Enforcement Directorate and was released in January 2025 after spending 15 months in custody. The five-time MLA, first from the Gaighata constituency in North 24 Parganas, was fielded again by Mamata Banerjee despite allegations of corruption against him. The Trinamool Congress chairperson had called Jyoti Priya Mallick one of her best-performing Ministers and had urged people to vote for him.

Mallick, who was the State’s Food and Supplies Minister from 2011 to 2021, lost to the BJP’s Debdas Mondal in the 2026 Assembly polls by a margin of over 31,000 votes. “I have resigned from all the posts in the Trinamool Congress because of my extremely poor health condition which has deteriorated severely during the past few months.... It makes no sense to hold on to a post when you can’t work,” Mr. Mallick said. On Friday (June 19), another Trinamool leader, Narendranath Chakraborty, resigned from the post of district president of the party from Paschim Bardhaman district. Mr. Chakraborty wrote a letter to Trinamool State president Chandrima Bhattacharya, informing about his resignation due to failing health. Gautam Deb, another close confidant of Trinamool Congress and a prominent leader of north Bengal, resigned as a Mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation.

Mr. Deb joins the long list of former Mayors like Firhad Hakim, Krishna Chakraborty and Uttam Das who have resigned as Mayors of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation and Barrackpore Municipal Corporation. Deb, who had served as Minister of North Bengal Development and MLA from the Dabgram-Phulbari seat, however, said that he will not sever his ties with the Trinamool Congress and continue to work for the party. MLA arrested Meanwhile, arrests of Trinamool Congress leaders continue in the State. Tarakeswar MLA and Trinamool leader Ramendu Sinharoy was arrested by West Bengal Police in Belagavi, Karnataka. According to the police, he was evading authorities due to multiple allegations, including the hoarding of government relief materials, rice theft, and extortion.