Former Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee met Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her residence today
Kolkata:
Former Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee and his colleague Baisakhi Bandyopadhyay today visited West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence. This has fueled speculation about Mr Chatterjee’s possible return to the Trinamool Congress (TMC). He had left TMC and joined BJP in 2019.
Today’s meeting was Mr Chatterjee’s second meeting with the TMC supremo this year.
About today’s visit to Ms. Banerjee’s residence, Mr. Chatterjee said: “I met Mamata Banerjee and it cannot be said that politics was not discussed. Whatever happens, it will be as per her promise.”
Later, while leaving the Bengal Chief Minister’s residence, Ms Bandyopadhyay said: “Sovan received bro-fonta (Bhai Dooj) from Mamta Elder sister And he’s always pampered Elder sister, She treats Sovan like a brother. I am glad that their personal relationship is still going strong. Elder sister I have always seen him as an active politician and he has always advised him to be active.”
She continued: “There was a misunderstanding in between, but it is over now. I believe Sovan should return to active politics.”
After joining the BJP, Mr Chatterjee was expected to have a prominent role in the party and a hefty post, but this did not happen. In 2021, he left the BJP along with his friend Ms. Bandyopadhyay, unhappy over not getting the ticket of their choice for the assembly elections.
Mr Chatterjee was considered a close aide of the Bengal CM until his resignation as the Mayor of Kolkata in 2018.
He had earlier met the chief minister at the state secretariat ‘Nabanna’ in June this year, fueling speculation about his possible return to the TMC.
His friend Ms. Bandyopadhyay accompanied him to ‘Nabanna’, although she refrained from answering questions about his next political move and told reporters that he would “follow Mamata’s instructions”. d”, adding that “there are no hard feelings”.
Mr Chatterjee is a four-time TMC MLA and was elected as a councilor in the Kolkata Corporation in 1985. He was elected as the mayor in 2010.