Former President Pranab Mukherjee’s son Abhijit Mukherjee rejoined the Congress on Wednesday after a four-year-long placid stint in the Trinamool Congress.
The former Lok Sabha MP was given the Congress membership at the party’s state headquarters here in the presence of AICC general secretary and West Bengal in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir.
Regretting his decision to have joined the TMC in 2021, Mukherjee said, “I apologise for this; it was not right for me to leave the Congress.”
“The nephew of Mamata Banerjee (Abhishek Banerjee) called me and I joined TMC. But soon after I joined, I realised I did wrong… This is my second birthday in the Congress and politics,” Mukherjee told reporters after being handed over the party flag by the national and state leadership.
Claiming that there is no alternative to the grand old party in the country’s politics, he said, “Only the Congress takes along all people irrespective of their caste, creed and religion.” Mukherjee said that he had expressed his desire to rejoin the Congress in June last year, but owing to different state elections, it could take place now.
He returned to the Congress four years after switching over to the Trinamool Congress in July 2021.
Mukherjee had not been seen in a much active role during his stint in the TMC.
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Maintaining that Mukherjee has come back to the “right party,” Mir said that his joining will help the Congress in its efforts to strengthen the party’s base in West Bengal.
“There are two types of ideologies working in the political arena at present in the country – on one side are the divisive forces and on the other the secular forces who take everyone together,” said Mir, an MLA of Jammu and Kashmir.
He claimed that the Congress was working together with all sections of the society.
“While one force is trying to change the Constitution, the Congress is working for the welfare of all within the scope of the Constitution,” Mir said.
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Stating that several political parties in different parts of the country want to tread the path of secularism, “but some are indirectly playing into the hands of others.”
Mukherjee had won a bye-election to the Jangipur Lok Sabha constituency in 2012 on a Congress ticket after his illustrious father, who had helmed several key positions in the Union government as a Congress leader, was elected the President of India.
Mukherjee had also won the 2014 parliamentary elections from the same constituency as a Congress candidate.
He had lost in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Jangipur securing the third position after the candidates of the TMC and the BJP.
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He joined the Congress party as a political novice in 2011 and won the 2011 assembly polls as its candidate from the Nalhati segment. Prior to joining politics in 2011, Mukherjee worked as a corporate executive both in the private and public sectors.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
