Kolkata, Nov 11 (IANS) The brooding silence of Trinamool Congress leadership over the release of former West Bengal Education Minister and the party’s former Secretary General from judicial custody on bail, on Tuesday, had cast uncertainties over the latter’s political comeback.

Not a single leader of the Trinamool Congress commented over his release except the party’s state General Secretary, Kunal Ghosh, who released a statement.

“This is a legal matter. If the court thinks that a person should be released on bail, it is entirely the court’s prerogative,” Ghosh said.

The Trinamool Congress leadership is silent on whether the suspension on Chatterjee would be lifted or not.

After his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in July 2022 in connection with the school job recruitment scam case, Trinamool Congress stripped the former West Bengal Education Minister of all his ministerial and organisational portfolios and also suspended his party membership for an indefinite period.

The Trinamool Congress even abolished the post of party’s General Secretary, which was previously held by Chatterjee.

Now, after his release on bail after three years and three months, Trinamool Congress leadership has continued to maintain a distance from Chatterjee, posing uncertainties over his political comeback.

However, Chatterjee still seems to be having a faint hope about his political comeback, as he said after his release that he will go to the people of Behala (Paschim) Assembly constituency, where he had served as a five-time Trinamool Congress legislator since 2001, and seek their views.

“I am answerable only to the people of Behala (Paschim) seat, who never questioned my honesty. I will go to them and seek justice from them. I have full faith in the judicial system of the country. The truth will prevail at the end of the trial process,” Chatterjee told media persons after returning to his ancestral home in South Kolkata on Tuesday afternoon.

After having rest at home for a couple of days, Chatterjee will regularly spend some time at his public relations office as an MLA from Behala (Paschim), where he meets the people from his Assembly constituency on a regular basis.

Political observers feel that the corporate honcho-turned-politician is keeping his groundwork ready with a faint hope to make a political comeback.

“However, the silence of Trinamool Congress leadership about his release on bail hints otherwise. However, Chatterjee seems to be keeping his hope alive, considering that everything is possible since in Trinamool Congress there is one final word which is of the Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee,” a city-based political observer said.

–IANS

src/khz