Overview
- The former West Bengal education minister was released this week after roughly three years and three months in custody in the school jobs case.
- Assembly Speaker Biman Bandhopadhyay said Chatterjee remains an MLA, can attend the winter session, and will be allotted a seat between the treasury and opposition benches without ministerial privileges.
- Chatterjee has written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking the party provisions used to suspend his primary membership and says he never received a formal suspension letter.
- He issued an open letter to Behala West voters denying he took money for jobs, vowing to visit constituents, and expressing intent to participate in debates during the session.
- Senior TMC figures indicate workers have been told to ignore him, reflecting the leadership’s decision to keep distance despite his renewed public outreach.