Trinamool Congress MP Somen Mitra to quit party to rejoin Congress

KOLKATA: In a major blow to Mamata Banerjee, her MP from Diamond Harbour and former Congress president Somen Mitra on Saturday announced his decision to quit Trinamool Congress and return to his "mother party" the Congress.

" I have decided to leave Trinamool Congress and go back to my mother party Congress," Mitra, who was once the president of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, said while inaugurating a Kali Puja here. Mitra, however, did not make it clear when he will quit as the MP and rejoin his old party, Congress.

"But before returning to Congress, I will first resign from the parliament as I think I should not return to the Congress as a Trinamool MP. Naturally, I will quit the Lok Sabha before joining the Congress," Mitra told a crowd which gathered in Burrabazar in connection with inauguration of a Kali Puja organised by Congress councillor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), Santosh Pathak.

"I have done a major mistake by quitting the Congress and now I have learnt my mistake. I will rectify myself by going back to my mother party and I will serve the people as a Congress activist," Mitra said.

Trinamool top brass is still silent over Mitra's announcement to quit the party and the Lok Sabha. Senior party leader and industry minister Partha Chatterjee told ET that "We are watching the situation carefully. But if anyone wants to quit our party, what can we do? It is his or her discretion to stay with us or leave us."

Mitra had been a Congress MLA from Sealdah assembly constituency from 1972 to 2006. In 2008, he left Congress to form his own party Pragatishil Indira Congress which merged with Trinamool Congress in 2009. Mitra had contested 2009 parliamentary elections on a Trinamool Congress ticket from Diamond Harbour lok sabha seat and won it.

Political rivalry between Mitra and Mamata Banerjee is a well-known fact in Bengal politics. In fact, Mamata had to quit the Congress in 1998 and form her party when Mitra was the president of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC). Many in political circles here were stunned as Mitra's decision to quit the Congress and join Mamata's party. His wife, Sikha, who is also a Trinamool Congress

Mitra's wife Sikha, a Trinamool Congress MLA, had first spoken up about differences with the party leadership and the gap went on widening, leading to her suspension from TMC for alleged anti-party activities. Sikha was suspended from Trinamool Congress for raising her voice against Mamata Banerjee's government on different issues like law and order and atrocities against women.