Trinamool leader apologises for saying party gave posts for cash-OxBig News Network

MLA Madan Mitra apologizes for alleging party sold key positions for money, blames I-PAC for corrupt practices. File
| Photo Credit: Sushanta Patronobish

Veteran Trinamool Congress leader and MLA Madan Mitra on Monday (February 3, 2025) apologised for saying that the party awarded key positions, including those in the Cabinet, in exchange of money.

On January 31, he told a Bengali news channel, “A massive money transaction cycle is rampant in the party currently… Say I am an MLA and I want a Minister’s post. Now, to be a Minister with a good portfolio, I’ll have to give them ₹10 crore. I give that to them but with no guarantee. If I finally become a Minister, I will make ₹20 crore out of that ₹10 crore. If not, I will lose ₹10 crore.”

However, on Monday (February 3, 2025), the leader apologised, on television, saying, “Nowhere in my statement did I name Mamata Banerjee. I do not have the authority to accuse her of anything. I sincerely apologise if my audacity affected her in any way.”

He said the party “did not engage in such practices before” and blamed I-PAC, the organisation behind the Trinamool’s winning campaigns in the 2021 Assembly election and the 2024 Lok Sabha election, for starting a culture of collecting funds.

“One day a poll strategy agency, I-PAC, entered our party, claiming they would make us win… They started the practice of collecting funds from different sources, all without Ms Banerjee’s knowledge,” Mr. Mitra said, adding that I-PAC was not involved in the past victories of the party.

“Many reputed people in the party, I have heard, have paid ₹25 lakh, ₹50 lakh to the agency. Even then they could not even secure nominations. They are such big names, they cannot even speak about it out of embarrassment,” he said. He added that none of these alleged money transactions involved Ms. Banerjee. 

Following Mr. Mitra’s statements, Trinamool leader Firhad Hakim said on Monday (February 3, 2025), “Cabinet Ministers are appointed by the Chief Minister. Such allegations should not be made outside the party, they should be addressed internally.”

Mr. Mitra has been a close acquaintance of Ms. Banerjee since the early days of the party. He was a Minister in her Cabinet till he was named as an accused in the Saradha Group fund scandal.

Commenting on Mr. Mitra’s remarks, Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal State Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said he has documents to prove that the poll strategy agency is involved in corrupt transactions connected to Central government schemes.