A sense of political bonhomie was witnessed today when Sunil Mondal, the outgoing MP, Purba Bardhaman and Dilip Ghosh, the BJP aspirant for the Bardhaman Durgapur seat had their cake.

The latter cut his birthday cake at Mondal’s house last night.

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Ghosh, on his usual morning walk in Burdwan town, said, “He’s with us. Where had he gone, I’d no idea.” Mondal said, “He’s an MP, my fellow colleague in the Parliament. Now, I’m a voter and he’s an aspirant for the seat where I reside. So, what’s wrong if he visits my house?”

A teacher by profession, Mondal first was elected as an MLA from the LF ally RSP in 2006, then from the Trinamul Congress in 2011, again an MP from the TMC in 2014 & 2019, but joined the saffron camp in December, 2020. He again joined the TMC in the 2021 scenario but in 2024, after TMC denied him nomination, he met Dilip Ghosh secretly at night giving birth to new possibilities.

Mondal said, “I couldn’t afford to buy more ‘bad names’, as the TMC would have blamed me if the candidate was defeated this time. So, I restrained myself.” About his future political plans, he said: “I’m far away from politics now. I’m enjoying a happy life. If I change it further, I’ll officially declare that.”