"Our man is with them": Kunal taunts Madan at Assembly over political shift

The state assembly witnessed highly dramatic moments on Friday when Kamarhati MLA Madan Mitra unexpectedly visited a dharna organized by the Kalighat Trinamool Congress (TMC). The pro-Mamata Banerjee MLAs were staging a protest on the assembly premises in support of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is on a hunger strike demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Mitra, who recently broke ties with Mamata Banerjee's camp to align himself as an ally of the breakaway Ritabrata Banerjee faction, emerged from the Leader of the Opposition's office wearing a saffron panjabi and sunglasses, catching the protesting legislators by surprise.

Upon seeing Mitra approach the dharna site, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh took a sarcastic jibe at the rebel MLA's sudden political defection. Ghosh mockingly remarked that while Mitra had physically crossed over to the rival faction, his mind and heart remained with the original Trinamool camp. Ghosh further claimed that federal agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had cowardly sent notices to Mitra's wife and sons to pressure him, adding that the party still views Mitra as one of their own despite his public posturing for a few days.

Mitra appeared temporarily speechless following Ghosh's public remarks but quickly engaged in a sharp verbal exchange with senior leader Shobhandeb Chatterjee, who was present at the protest. Mitra mockingly stated that he wished to see Chatterjee comfortably occupy the opposition bench for the next ten years, prompting Chatterjee to smile and reply that he would soon return to the treasury benches instead. Later, speaking to reporters, Mitra explained that his brief presence at the TMC protest was merely a gesture of political courtesy, while taking a parting shot at Ghosh by suggesting that the TMC leader was on the verge of losing his mental balance.