Kolkata, June 19 (IANS) Jyotipriya Mallick, a five-time Trinamool Congress legislator and former member of the previous Mamata Banerjee-led Cabinet, on Friday tendered his resignation from all organisational posts in the Trinamool Congress.

Mallick, a former Minister in the Mamata Banerjee government, who was forced to quit after being arrested in a scam, was included as a member of the Trinamool Congress’ National Working Committee last week only. But within seven days from the date of that inclusion, Mallick resigned from all organisational posts of the party.

The official reason given for his resignation was poor health. “I am a patient of high blood sugar. My kidney has already been affected by diabetes. So, in such a situation, it is medically impossible for me to remain associated with the organisational activities of the Trinamool Congress and hence I have decided to quit all organisational posts,” Mallik said.

Mallik is a four-time Trinamool Congress legislator, first from Gaighata Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas district from 2001 to 2011 and then from Habra Assembly constituency in the same district from 2011 to 2026.

However, in the recently-concluded West Bengal Assembly polls he was defeated in Habra by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Debdas Mondal by a margin of over 31,000 votes.

On October 27, 2023 Mallick was arrested by the officers of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on charges of alleged involvement in the multi-crore ration distribution case in West Bengal as the former food & supplies minister.

At the time of his arrest, he was the state forest minister. After spending over a year first in ED custody and then in judicial custody he was finally released on bail in January 2025. However, after that he just continued as a ruling party legislator and was not allotted any ministerial portfolio in the Cabinet.

He was re-nominated as the Trinamool Congress candidate from Habra in the recently-concluded Assembly elections as well, though he was defeated. Considered the blue-eyed boy of Mamata Banerjee, Mallick was often showered with praise by the former Chief Minister in public forums.

She had also been extremely vocal against his arrest by the ED and described it as political vendetta.

–IANS

src/rad