West Bengal Medical Council reshuffle: 3 TMC-era nominees replaced by BJP govt
Synopsis
West Bengal's new BJP government has moved swiftly to overhaul the state Medical Council, ousting all three TMC-era nominated members — including former minister and three-time MLA Dr Nirmal Maji, who faced allegations of rigging the 2022 council elections and whose conduct was questioned in the aftermath of the R.G. Kar rape-murder case.
Key Takeaways
The West Bengal Health Department replaced all three state-nominated WB Medical Council members on 28 July .
Outgoing members Dr Nirmal Maji , Dr Sourav Pal , and Dr Asim Kumar Sarkar were appointed during the previous TMC government.
Dr Nirmal Maji was a three-time TMC MLA and former cabinet minister, defeated by over 4,000 votes in the recent Assembly elections.
Incoming members include Dr Pranat Tudu , a first-time BJP MLA who won Binpur by a margin of ~ 23,000 votes .
Fresh council elections are unlikely as the current council term still has considerable time remaining.
The council faced scrutiny over alleged 2022 election rigging and its role in the R.G.
Kar rape-murder case of August 2024.
The West Bengal Health Department on 28 July carried out a sweeping reshuffle of the West Bengal Medical Council, replacing all three state-nominated members who had been appointed during the previous All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) government led by Mamata Banerjee. A formal notification was issued the same morning, with the three incoming members directed to assume charge at the earliest.
Who Was Replaced
The outgoing state-nominated members are Dr Nirmal Maji, Dr Sourav Pal, and Dr Asim Kumar Sarkar. Of the three, Maji carried the highest political profile — a three-time TMC legislator from the Uluberia (Uttar) Assembly constituency in Howrah district and a former minister in the Banerjee cabinet. In the recent state Assembly elections, Maji was defeated by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Chiran Bera by a margin of over 4,000 votes.
Who Steps In
The three new state-nominated members are Dr Pranat Tudu, Dr Kalyan Asish Mukhopadhyay, and Dr Mrinmay Adhikari. Notably, Dr Tudu is a first-time BJP legislator elected from the Binpur Assembly constituency in the tribal-dominated Jhargram district. He won his seat by defeating Birbaha Hansda — a Santali actress and former TMC minister of state for forests — by a margin of approximately 23,000 votes.
Background: Controversy Under the Previous Council
The West Bengal Medical Council had been mired in controversy during the TMC tenure. Council elections were last held in 2022, and the opposition alleged widespread rigging in favour of the then-ruling party, demanding a re-election — a charge that reportedly placed Dr Maji at the centre of scrutiny as the alleged mastermind. The controversy deepened further when the council's conduct came under question in connection with the R.G. Kar rape-murder case of August 2024, one of the most disturbing criminal episodes in recent West Bengal history. Maji was also separately accused of arranging dialysis for a pet dog belonging to a relative at a reputed medical college and hospital in Kolkata — an allegation that drew widespread public criticism.
Why Fresh Elections Are Unlikely
Despite the change in government, fresh Council elections are considered unlikely in the near term. The current Council's term has a considerable period remaining, making mid-term elections procedurally complex. The BJP-led state government has instead exercised its authority to replace the three state-government-nominated seats — the most direct lever available to it without triggering a full electoral process.
What This Signals
The reshuffle is among the early administrative moves by the new BJP government in West Bengal to reconfigure institutional bodies that were shaped during the TMC era. Healthcare governance, particularly in the wake of the R.G. Kar case, remains a politically sensitive domain in the state. How the reconstituted council navigates pending controversies and institutional reforms will be closely watched by medical professionals and civil society alike.
Point of View
Not just legislate. The harder question is whether new nominees will address structural problems — the 2022 rigging allegations were never independently adjudicated, and the council's credibility in the R.G. Kar aftermath remains damaged. Personnel change alone does not rebuild institutional trust; the new council will need to demonstrate independence from its appointing government to avoid repeating the same pattern under a different party.
NationPress
28 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the West Bengal Medical Council been reshuffled?
The West Bengal Health Department replaced the three state-nominated council members who were appointed during the previous TMC government, following the BJP's victory in the state Assembly elections. The move uses the government's authority over nominated seats without requiring fresh council-wide elections.
Who are the outgoing members of the WB Medical Council?
The three replaced members are Dr Nirmal Maji, Dr Sourav Pal, and Dr Asim Kumar Sarkar. Dr Maji, the most prominent of the three, was a three-time TMC MLA and former state cabinet minister who lost his seat in the recent elections.
Who are the newly appointed members of the WB Medical Council?
The three incoming state-nominated members are Dr Pranat Tudu, Dr Kalyan Asish Mukhopadhyay, and Dr Mrinmay Adhikari. Dr Tudu is a first-time BJP legislator from Binpur in Jhargram district.
Why is there no fresh election for the West Bengal Medical Council?
The current council term has a significant period remaining, making a fresh election procedurally unlikely. The state government has instead exercised its right to replace only the nominated seats it controls.
What controversies surrounded the West Bengal Medical Council under TMC?
The council faced allegations of rigging during its 2022 elections, with Dr Nirmal Maji reportedly accused of being the mastermind. It also came under scrutiny for its conduct in connection with the R.G. Kar rape-murder case in August 2024. Maji was additionally accused of arranging dialysis for a relative's pet dog at a Kolkata medical college.
