Jyotipriya Mallick: The Mamata Banerjee Loyalist Who Has Quit Trinamool

Even before the inception of Trinamool Congress in 1998, Jyotipriya Mallick was a close aide and loyal companion of Mamata Banerjee. On Friday, in a handwritten Bengali letter to Banerjee, Mallick expressed his wish to quit Trinamool Congress, citing high sugar and a doctor's advice to get some rest as he's under treatment. 

A Mamata loyalist, Mallick has been known for his deep political influence over Kolkata-adjoining North 24 Parganas. He was entrusted with important organisational responsibilities by Banerjee in this district. Even when the Trinamool Congress performed poorly, he won Assembly elections and delivered victories to his leader from his constituency.

A long-standing Bengal minister, Mallick has headed the Food Department for 10 years continuously. However, his political career took a hit when he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged ration corruption case .

Mallick is a founding-era worker of the Trinamool Congress and a three-time minister in the erstwhile Mamata Banerjee government. His rise in state politics began gradually from his student politics with Congress. In the early 1980s, he was influenced by Mamata Banerjee, a young, emerging street fighter of Congress.

In 1984, when Mamata Banerjee contested the Lok Sabha election from the Jadavpur constituency, Mallick campaigned for her. From then on, he became one of the leader's trusted associates, affectionately known as "Balu".

He was rewarded for his loyalty as well. After the formation of the Trinamool Congress in 1998, Banerjee appointed "Balu" as the party's state general secretary. From that point onwards, his political career continued to rise through the ranks.

He was given charge of the organisation of the TMC in North 24 Parganas and appointed as the observer for the district.

Later, he also became the district president of North 24 Parganas. During his tenure as president, the Trinamool Congress won 30 of the district's 33 Assembly seats in the 2016 elections. He had a deep understanding of the political landscape of North 24 Parganas.

He, however, was removed from the charge of his home district in 2021.

In 2001, Mallick contested his first Assembly election from Gaighata. He won again from the same constituency in 2006.

In 2011, he won the Assembly election from Habra and was appointed Food Minister. It is in the department he headed that allegations of massive corruption surfaced.

In 2021, he once again won the election from the Habra Assembly constituency. This time, however, Mamata Banerjee did not reappoint him as Food Minister. Instead, he was given charge of the forest ministry. It was during his tenure as forest minister that he was arrested by a central agency.

However, after being in jail for over 15 months, when the court granted him bail, he returned to active politics.

He was seen attending the Vidhan Sabha, and then he was given the ticket to fight 2026 assembly elections again from Habra.

During the campaign this year, Mamata Banerjee certified Mallick as one of her best ministers who was a victim of "central agency" action due to the BJP's "vindictive" politics.

He, however, lost the elections, which were swept by the BJP, ending Banerjee's three straight terms.

With the poll defeat and subsequent rebellion in the TMC, Mallick has become yet another soldier of Mamata Banerjee to hang his boots.