Bengal Advocate General Kishore Datta resigns day after TMC poll defeat
Synopsis
West Bengal's Advocate General Kishore Datta — twice appointed under Mamata Banerjee's TMC government — resigned the day after TMC's Assembly election defeat, forwarding his resignation to Governor R.N. Ravi. The move signals the unravelling of the outgoing administration's legal establishment, even before a new cabinet is sworn in.
Key Takeaways
Kishore Datta resigned as West Bengal Advocate General on Tuesday, 6 May 2025 , a day after TMC's poll defeat.
His resignation was forwarded to West Bengal Governor R.N.
Ravi at Lok Bhavan .
Datta served as AG twice over the 15-year TMC regime since 2011 , and was a close confidant of Mamata Banerjee .
BJP advocates approached Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul on Monday, seeking a stay on state-related verdicts pending new cabinet formation.
The exit follows a prior pattern — Datta had also resigned during post-poll violence pressure after the 2021 elections , before being reappointed in November 2023 .
West Bengal's Advocate General Kishore Datta tendered his resignation on Tuesday, 6 May 2025, just a day after the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) suffered defeat in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections. Datta forwarded his resignation to the office of West Bengal Governor R.N. Ravi, insiders from Lok Bhavan confirmed.
Who Is Kishore Datta
Kishore Datta is widely regarded as an extremely close confidant of outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He has served as West Bengal's Advocate General twice during the 15-year TMC regime that began in 2011. His resignation marks the end of a long and politically significant legal tenure closely intertwined with the Banerjee administration.
A Pattern of Departures
This is not the first time the Advocate General's office has seen a politically charged exit. During the post-poll violence controversy following the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, Datta had resigned from the AG's chair when the state government faced mounting legal pressure. Soumendranath Mukherjee subsequently took over as Advocate General.
However, in November 2023, Mukherjee abruptly resigned from the position amid a string of legal setbacks for the state government at the Calcutta High Court. His departure coincided with the replacement of the then public prosecutor, Saswata Gopal Mukherjee, by Debasish Roy. Mukherjee told sections of the media that his resignation carried no stated reason, though insiders from the state legal department reportedly confirmed that then state law minister Malay Ghatak had pressured him to step down amid those courtroom setbacks.
Following Mukherjee's exit, Datta was reappointed as Advocate General for a second term — a return that now ends with Tuesday's resignation.
BJP's Legal Move at Calcutta High Court
On Monday morning, advocates from the legal cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) approached Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, requesting intervention to put on hold verdicts and orders in state-related cases until the formation of the new state cabinet. It was shortly after this development that Datta's resignation was confirmed.
What Comes Next
With the TMC now out of power and a new government expected to take shape, the appointment of a fresh Advocate General will be among the early legal and administrative decisions of the incoming administration. The timing of Datta's exit — before the new cabinet is even sworn in — signals a clean break from the outgoing legal establishment, and sets the stage for a significant reshuffle in the state's top legal offices.
Point of View
Before a new cabinet has even been formed. That swiftness reflects how deeply the AG's office had become identified with the Banerjee administration rather than the constitutional role it is meant to serve. The BJP's simultaneous move at the Calcutta High Court — seeking a hold on state-related verdicts — underlines that the legal battlefield will be as contested as the political one in the transition period ahead.
NationPress
16 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did West Bengal Advocate General Kishore Datta resign?
Kishore Datta resigned on Tuesday, a day after the Trinamool Congress suffered defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections. He forwarded his resignation to Governor R.N. Ravi, with the timing widely seen as linked to the change in political power in the state.
Who is Kishore Datta and what was his role?
Kishore Datta is a senior lawyer and close confidant of outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He served as West Bengal's Advocate General twice during the TMC's 15-year rule since 2011, most recently from November 2023 onwards.
What happened with the previous Advocate General Soumendranath Mukherjee?
Soumendranath Mukherjee took over as AG after Datta's first resignation during the 2021 post-poll violence controversy. He resigned in November 2023 amid legal setbacks at the Calcutta High Court, reportedly under pressure from then law minister Malay Ghatak, after which Datta was reappointed.
What did BJP lawyers do at the Calcutta High Court after the election result?
BJP legal cell advocates approached Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul on Monday, requesting that verdicts and orders in state-related cases be put on hold until a new state cabinet is formed. Datta's resignation was confirmed shortly after.
Who will be the next West Bengal Advocate General?
No appointment has been announced yet. The selection of a new Advocate General will be among the early decisions of the incoming state government once the new cabinet is sworn in.
