Meet ‘colourful boy’ Madan Mitra, Mamata loyalist who switched to ‘rebel’ TMC camp

By the 1990s, Mitra had emerged as a powerful Congress organiser in south Kolkata, challenging the Left Front’s dominance. He built an extensive grassroots network by organising the taxi drivers’ union, taking control of the influential staff union at SSKM Government Hospital, and cultivating close ties with neighbourhood youth clubs. He also developed a reputation for being accessible to residents irrespective of their political affiliation.

When Mamata floated the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) in 1998, Mitra joined her as a founding member. He was appointed the party’s general secretary in 2000 and became president of the Trinamool Youth Congress in 2004. Within the party, he earned a reputation as one of its most effective organisers and crowd mobilisers.

Electoral journey

Mitra first entered the West Bengal Assembly in 2011, winning from Kamarhati in North 24 Parganas after the TMC’s historic victory and was inducted into Mamata’s Cabinet, where he held key portfolios, including Sports and Youth Affairs and Transport.

His political career suffered a major setback on December 13, 2014, when the CBI arrested him in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam. Mitra spent over 27 months in custody, was briefly hospitalised in November 2015 after complaining of uneasiness, and secured bail in September 2016.

Unable to campaign personally because he was in jail, Mitra lost the 2016 Assembly election, with his son leading his campaign. He returned to the Assembly by winning Kamarhati in 2021 and retained the seat in the 2026 Assembly election, securing 64,817 votes, or 43.71% of the vote share.

Mitra has also cultivated a larger-than-life public persona. Unlike most politicians who favour white khadi, he is recognised for his brightly coloured outfits, designer sunglasses and distinctive footwear. He is highly active on social media, with around 740,000 followers on Facebook, frequently hosting Facebook Live sessions. He has also ventured into acting and singing, appearing in the Bengali film Oh! Lovely.

How leaders reacted

Announcing his departure, Mitra said he had not left the party’s ideology or symbol but blamed Mamata for “allowing her nephew Abhishek Banerjee to dominate the organisation”. “I am not sad because I haven’t left the party or its symbol. Mamata’s biggest mistake has been prioritising Abhishek Banerjee. I was unable to work in a party which is run this way. All her soldiers are leaving because she no longer wants to run the party herself but only backs Abhishek. Even today, the TMC has the strength to fill the Brigade Parade Ground. More than the ED, I was scared of AB (Abhishek Banerjee)…,” he alleged.

Welcoming him into the rebel camp, Ritabrata said: “He is a veteran leader, a seasoned politician and an MLA. This is a collective movement, and his joining us makes it stronger.”

BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said: “Oh! Lovely. He has a colourful personality. Mitra has been with the TMC since its inception. We all know he would arrange packets for TMC workers at all its programmes.”