Kolkata, Nov. 3 -- Sovan Chatterjee, once a close aide of Bengal Chief Minister & Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, and former Kolkata Mayor, returned to the ruling party after a gap of seven years, ending all speculations.

His close associate Baisakhi Bandopadhyay also joined TMC at the party's headquarters in the presence of senior party leaders Subrata Bakshi and Aroop Biswas, who draped them with party scarves.

"This is a return to my roots. Didi (Mamata Banerjee) is like a family. I am happy to be back and will work under her leadership again. My arteries and veins are filled with Trinamool's blood. This is my home, my family. I will work under her leadership again to strengthen the party," Chatterjee told the media after his ceremonial return.

In October, Sovan Chatterjee was appointed chairman of the NKDA until "further notice". Political observers believe that Chatterjee's joining, along with Baisakhi, underscores the party's strategy of "healing old wounds" in order to consolidate organisational strength ahead of the 2026 polls. Chatterjee quit TMC in November 2018 and joined the BJP in August 2019, but his stint in the saffron camp was short-lived. During the 2021 Assembly polls, Chatterjee and Baisakhi quit BJP, accusing it's state leadership of "insults and betrayal". Aroop Biswas, after their joining, said: "They have conveyed to the party that they wish to contribute again to Mamata Banerjee's mission for Bengal's development." "The two leaders had expressed their wish to meet Abhishek Banerjee immediately after joining the party, and Abhishek had gladly agreed," Biswas added.

Later, they met Abhisek, who welcomed them into the party fold, saying: "Everyone has the right to choose a party. Chatterjee remained away from active politics for a long time. Both Chatterjee and Bandopadhyay will now fight as soldiers of the party alongside us."Banerjee, in reply to a media question, added: "The working committee of the party will decide if they will be given an organisational post within the party."

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.