Sikha Mitra, former West Bengal MLA and widow of late state Congress president Somen Mitra, will rejoin Mamata Banerjee’s party on Sunday. The former MLA had resigned from her Chowringhee seat in 2014 citing growing differences with the TMC.
Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Mitra said she never left the TMC officially. “I will join TMC tomorrow. I have decided to join the party again because my experience says that you can’t do big things for the welfare of the people without a political platform,” she said.
“I never left TMC. I never joined another party. I am re-joining and the party will give me a flag tomorrow. Some more people will also join TMC with me,” she added.
When asked about her new responsibilities in TMC, Mitra said, “I don’t know what will be my exact responsibility, but I have been asked to work for a committee for women and have to go in the district level and meet people.”
Mitra had severed links with the TMC after her husband Somen Mitra left the party and returned to the Congress.
Differences surfaced between Mitra and her son Rohan with Congress state leadership helmed by Adhir Chowdhury after the death of Somen Mitra last year and they were also approached by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.
The BJP even announced her name as a candidate for the assembly election earlier this year.
However, Mitra said her name was declared without her consent and she will not enter the poll fray.
Meanwhile, the Congress in West Bengal, continues to face setbacks with several of its leaders switching sides with the TMC in the last two months, including party’s women’s wing president Sushmita Dev.