Veteran Trinamool Congress leader and former West Bengal minister Jyotipriya Mallick has decided to quit the party after being one of its longest-serving and most influential members. In a handwritten letter in Bengali addressed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Jyotipriya Mallick cited health concerns, including high blood sugar levels and medical advice to take rest while undergoing treatment, as the reason for his decision.
Jyotipriya Mallick was closely associated with Mamata Banerjee even before the formation of the Trinamool Congress in 1998 and emerged as one of her most trusted political aides. Popularly known as "Balu," he played a significant organisational role in North 24 Parganas, building a strong political network and consistently delivering electoral victories for the party in the district.
His political journey began with student politics in the Congress, where he came under the influence of Mamata Banerjee during the early 1980s. He campaigned for her successful 1984 Lok Sabha election from Jadavpur and later became one of her closest associates. After the Trinamool Congress was established, he was appointed the party's state general secretary and later given charge of its organisation in North 24 Parganas.
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Jyotipriya Mallick entered the West Bengal Assembly by winning the Gaighata constituency in 2001 and retained the seat in 2006. In 2011, he was elected from Habra and appointed Food Minister, a position he held for a decade. Under his leadership, the Trinamool Congress secured 30 of the 33 Assembly seats in North 24 Parganas during the 2016 elections, reinforcing his reputation as one of the party's key strategists.
His political career, however, suffered a setback after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the alleged ration corruption case. Following the 2021 Assembly election victory, he was shifted from the Food Department and appointed Forest Minister. After spending more than 15 months in jail, he secured bail and returned to active politics, eventually receiving a party ticket to contest the 2026 Assembly election from Habra.
Although Mamata Banerjee publicly defended Jyotipriya Mallick during the 2026 campaign and described him as one of her best ministers who had become a victim of political vendetta, he failed to retain his seat. His decision to leave the Trinamool Congress marks the end of a political association spanning more than four decades and closes a significant chapter in the party's organisational history.
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