Before chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s visit to Sandeshkhali, local leader Sujay Mondal, also known as ‘Sujay Master,’ joined the Trinamul Congress (TMC).

Sujay had played a significant role in the anti-establishment movement in Sandeshkhali, last year. According to local sources, he had mobilised women against leaders like Shahjahan Sheikh, Uttam Sardar, and Shibu Hazra during that period. Sujay even spent time in jail during the Sandeshkhali episode. This led to a considerable distance between him and the TMC.

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However, Sujay Master has now rejoined the ruling party. This marks chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s first visit to Sandeshkhali after the agitation. On Monday, she attended a government event there. Ahead of her visit, reports emerged that Sujay had officially rejoined the TMC at the party office in Sandeshkhali, with local leaders present.

Mamata later addressed the gathering from the stage. Professionally a para-teacher at a state government school, Sujay was once associated with the CPM before switching to the TMC. However, he reportedly could not tolerate the ‘atrocities’ committed by Shahjahan, Shibu, and Uttam. Sujay alleged that he was arrested for speaking out against them. Following this, he began mobilising women in Sandeshkhali against some local TMC leaders and emerged as a key figure in their movement.

Rekha Patra, one of the prominent faces of the Sandeshkhali movement, was fielded as a BJP candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to local sources, Rekha’s rise was also supported by Sujay. However, they later grew apart. The primary grievances of the protesting women in Sandeshkhali included allegations that local TMC leaders forcibly occupied lands and harassed residents. Large tracts of land were allegedly seized to create fisheries. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the TMC countered the allegations, claiming that the BJP had ‘orchestrated’ the Sandeshkhali movement in exchange for money. Eventually, the BJP failed to make a significant impact in the Basirhat constituency, under which Sandeshkhali falls. The TMC candidate, Haji Nurul Islam (now deceased), won by several lakh votes. However, the BJP had won the Sandeshkhali Assembly seat. Now, before Mamata’s visit, Sujay, who was once considered an insider, has returned to the TMC. The ruling party claims that Sujay has realised his ‘mistake’ and decided to rejoin them.

Commenting on Sujay’s move, Leader of Opposition in Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said, “He has always been a TMC supporter. Even during the Lok Sabha elections, he worked for the TMC. He is a leader of the TMC’s para-teacher organisation. Just five days ago, he sent me a message saying he was under pressure. I told him to decide for himself. However, this will cause significant harm to Hindus.”