Three and a half years after his arrest, Partha Chatterjee walked out of jail on bail and immediately began projecting himself as politically relevant once again. In multiple media interviews, he claimed that his bond with Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee remains intact and insisted he is still an “inseparable part” of the Trinamool Congress. But even as he attempted to reclaim space in public discourse, Kalighat delivered a blunt message—Partha Chatterjee remains suspended, and the party has no intention of taking him back.
According to senior TMC sources, party spokespersons were formally instructed to clarify TMC’s position whenever asked about Partha Chatterjee. They must state that he was suspended for six years over corruption allegations, and only three and a half years of that period have passed. The recruitment scam investigation is still incomplete, and the party does not consider bail equivalent to innocence.
In short, Partha Chatterjee is not returning to the party anytime soon.
Since his release, the former minister’s residence in Naktala has been swarmed by media. In interviews—including one with ‘The Wall’—Partha Chatterjee repeatedly spoke about his personal life, publicly acknowledging his relationship with Arpita Mukherjee. He stated that after his wife’s death, Arpita filled a “void” in his life and added, “Arpita was, is, and will be.” He also described her as a “number one Odia actress.”
But this publicity drive has not gone down well within TMC. The party is troubled by the way the former minister is pushing his personal narrative, even as the corruption case against him remains a major embarrassment. On social media, many questioned why a corruption-accused leader was getting such prominent coverage.
TMC, too, is watching all reactions closely.
A senior functionary connected to Kalighat put it even more sharply. “Many leaders have faced allegations,” he said. “But the recovery of nearly ₹50 crore in cash and gold from Arpita Mukherjee’s flat was pure visual pollution for the party. No other leader has embarrassed the organisation the way Partha Chatterjee has. The party will not even let his shadow cross its path.”
Yet Partha seems determined to re-enter the public sphere. He has announced that he will soon go to the state Assembly, even though he continues to suffer from swollen legs and hands. Legally, Partha Chatterjee is still the MLA of Behala West and has full rights to attend Assembly sessions. He claims he will not just be present, but will attempt to speak as well.
But TMC insiders believe this may turn into an uncomfortable spectacle. Many MLAs who once queued up outside his office are unlikely to speak to him now. “It will only hurt him,” a party leader said. “The discomfort he will face in the Assembly is entirely his own doing.”
The biggest burden he still carries is the money-recovery episode. The image of trunks packed with currency and gold bars seized from Arpita Mukherjee’s residence remains vivid in public memory. That stain, TMC leaders say, is not something the party is willing to absorb again—especially as Partha Chatterjee himself continues to publicly invoke Arpita and defend their relationship.
Kalighat’s position is therefore unequivocal: he is politically untouchable until the investigation concludes.
No reinstatement.
No role in the organisation.
No return to the inner circle.
Despite Partha’s repeated assertions that he remains a core part of TMC, the party has moved on. Whether he can build relevance outside the party, or whether his current visibility is simply an attempt to exert pressure, remains an open question.
For now, one thing is clear—Partha Chatterjee may want the Trinamool back, but the Trinamool does not want him back.
