"Congress has to atone for the expulsion of Mamata" says Pradip Bhattacharya

In a recent statement, veteran Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya revisited the expulsion of Mamata Banerjee from the party, a decision made in 1997 that had long-lasting consequences for both the Congress and Mamata's political journey. At the time, Sitaram Kesri was the All India Congress President, and Somen Mitra was the Pradesh Congress President of West Bengal. The decision to expel Mamata, who was then a prominent Congress leader and the Member of Parliament for Kolkata South, was made after she had openly criticized the party leadership and expressed her dissatisfaction with the Congress's direction, especially regarding its handling of West Bengal politics.

Bhattacharya recalled the pressure placed on Somen Mitra by the party leadership to carry out the expulsion. He explained that Mitra received direct instructions from Sitaram Kesri to expel Mamata. Bhattacharya mentioned, “Somen Mitra’s phone call came to me, and he said, 'You have to do it. You have to expel her because we have done it.'” Despite Bhattacharya’s objections and advice against the move, the expulsion proceeded. Bhattacharya indicated that the decision to expel Mamata remains a point of contention within the Congress party, with unresolved tensions lingering even today.

Mamata Banerjee’s expulsion marked a turning point in her political career. After leaving Congress, Mamata went on to form her own political party, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), in 1998. The formation of the AITC was driven by her desire to create a separate platform to challenge the Left Front's dominance in West Bengal. In the years following her expulsion, Mamata's political influence grew steadily, and she eventually became the Chief Minister of West Bengal in 2011, a position she has held since then. The expulsion from Congress, initially seen as a party decision, inadvertently facilitated the rise of Mamata as a major political force in Bengal.

In response to Bhattacharya’s remarks, former Pradesh Congress president Adhir Chowdhury emphasized Congress's significant role in Mamata's political ascent. Chowdhury pointed out that Mamata's rise within the party was facilitated by the support of leaders like Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, and that without this backing, she would not have attained such prominence. However, Chowdhury also criticized Mamata for undermining Congress's position in West Bengal by leading a campaign that eventually weakened the party's influence. He stated that Mamata's efforts post-expulsion contributed to the decline of Congress in Bengal, especially after the formation of the Trinamool Congress. The ongoing discussion between Bhattacharya and Chowdhury underscores the complex relationship between Mamata Banerjee and the Congress party, reflecting internal divisions and differing perspectives on her political journey and the impact of her expulsion.