Kunal’s swipe at TMC old guard over Tapas, Sajal exit

Kolkata: Trinamool MLA Kunal Ghosh on Thursday said former party netas Tapas Ray and Sajal Ghosh were "forced to leave" Trinamool, in a pointed social media post that also called for "self-analysis" within the party.

The remarks came hours after Kunal took oath in the assembly from pro tem speaker Tapas Ray, who returned to the House after winning the Maniktala seat on a BJP ticket. Former Trinamool neta Sajal Ghosh also entered the assembly as a BJP MLA from Baranagar.

"The oath was administered by the pro tem Speaker Tapas Roy, a long-time elder and neta. We tried to keep Tapasda in Trinamool, but unfortunately, we couldn't… In North and Central Kolkata, Tapasda and Sajal Ghosh were forced to leave the party. We tried to retain both but failed. Today, they are legislators. It's all fate," Kunal wrote.

Declaring himself a "soldier of Trinamool", Kunal also criticised "favouritism and the same old politics" within the party. "If this continues, workers are losing patience. Self-reflection is essential in the fight to revitalise Trinamool," he added.

Though he did not name anyone, party insiders linked the remarks to Kunal's strained ties with North Kolkata MP Sudip Bandopadhyay and Trinamool MLA Nayana Bandopadhyay.

The tensions resurfaced after Nayana was recently appointed deputy leader of the Trinamool legislative party. While Kunal congratulated opposition leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, chief whip Firhad Hakim and other parliamentary office-bearers, he notably did not mention Nayana.

In 2024, Kunal was removed as Trinamool state general secretary hours after he shared a stage with then BJP Lok Sabha candidate Tapas Ray and praised him publicly.

Responding to Kunal's remarks, Sajal Ghosh said: "Only Kunal tried to stop me. But I am very happy that I didn't listen to him that day. Otherwise, today I would have been called a thief too."