Former Kolkata mayor and Minister Sovan Chatterjee on Monday rejoined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) after a hiatus of seven years, marking one of the most prominent political homecomings in recent years. He returned to the party along with his partner Baisakhi Bandopadhyay, ending prolonged speculation over their political future.
Once regarded as one of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s most trusted aides, Chatterjee’s comeback comes just days after his appointment as chairman of the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA). The move has sparked political chatter about the TMC’s strategy to consolidate its old guard ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
The duo formally rejoined the ruling party at a programme in Kolkata in the presence of senior TMC leaders. Welcoming him back, party insiders described the moment as a “homecoming long in the making”.
Speaking to reporters after rejoining, Sovan Chatterjee said, “This is a return to my roots. Didi (Mamata Banerjee) is like family. I am happy to be back and will work under her leadership again.”
Chatterjee had quit the TMC in November 2018, resigning from all his posts, including minister, mayor, and organisational head, citing personal reasons. Following his resignation, Chatterjee joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with Baisakhi Bandopadhyay. However, their stint in the saffron party proved short-lived and fraught with internal conflicts.
During the 2021 Assembly elections, both Chatterjee and Bandopadhyay severed ties with the BJP, accusing the party’s state leadership of “insults and betrayal.” Since then, speculation about their possible return to the TMC had surfaced repeatedly, culminating in Monday’s official announcement.
Earlier in October, the West Bengal government appointed Chatterjee as the chairman of the NKDA, a statutory body responsible for overseeing civic and infrastructural development in New Town under the NKDA Act, 2007. The position had previously been held by senior bureaucrats Debashish Sen and Alapan Bandopadhyay.
