Mamata skips Bhai Phota at Kalighat; Dilip Ghosh says she feared empty halls
Synopsis
For the first time in over a decade, Mamata Banerjee skipped Bhai Phota at Kalighat — and the reason may matter more than the ritual. With former allies in rebel factions, two ex-ministers in judicial custody, and a party regrouping after an election loss, BJP's Dilip Ghosh argues the cancellation was less a protest and more a preemption of empty chairs.
Key Takeaways
Mamata Banerjee cancelled her annual Bhai Phota celebration at Kalighat , South Kolkata , on 11 November .
TMC cited it as a symbolic protest against alleged harassment of party workers under the new BJP state government.
BJP minister Dilip Ghosh claimed she cancelled because she anticipated a poor turnout, with former loyalists now absent.
Former ministers Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas have shifted to the rebel TMC faction led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata .
Ex-ministers Indranil Sen and Sujit Bose are currently in judicial custody in separate scam cases.
This is the first time in over a decade that Banerjee has not hosted Bhai Phota at her Kalighat residence.
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cancelled her customary Bhai Phota (also called Bhai Dooj) celebration at her Kalighat residence in South Kolkata on Wednesday, 11 November, triggering a sharp political exchange. While the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) cited the cancellation as a symbolic protest, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh offered a pointed alternative reading: the former Chief Minister, he said, knew the halls would be half-empty.
The Official Explanation
According to Trinamool Congress spokespersons, Banerjee chose to forgo the annual gathering as a mark of protest against the alleged torture, harassment, and mass arrests of party workers under the new BJP state government. The annual Bhai Phota event at Kalighat had long served as a show of strength, drawing hundreds of party faithfuls and senior leaders to her private residence each year.
What Dilip Ghosh Said
Dilip Ghosh, the state's Panchayat Affairs and Rural Development Minister and a former West Bengal BJP president, was blunt in his dismissal of that explanation. 'Earlier, everyone used to flock to her residence on Bhai Phota, not to receive her elder-sisterly affection but to remain close to the absolute power and authority she enjoyed as Chief Minister. Today, she is out of power. So, there is no Bhai Phota celebration. She knows that those who used to visit her residence in previous years will not turn up this time,' Ghosh said.
Key Absences That Lend Weight to the Charge
The current political landscape within Trinamool Congress does lend some credence to the charge. Several leaders who were regular fixtures at the Kalighat gathering are no longer in Banerjee's orbit. Former heavyweight ministers Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas, prominent faces at the annual celebration until last year, have aligned themselves with the party's rebel majority faction led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata.
Singer-turned-politician and former minister Indranil Sen, another familiar face at Bhai Phota events, is currently in judicial custody following his arrest in connection with an alleged fake UNESCO-tagged Durga Puja pass scam. Former state minister Sujit Bose is also in judicial custody in connection with his alleged involvement in the multi-crore cash-for-municipalities recruitment scam.
A Shrinking Inner Circle
The cumulative effect of these absences — through political realignment, criminal proceedings, or simple opportunism — has visibly altered the composition of Mamata Banerjee's inner circle following the Assembly election defeat. This is the first Bhai Phota in over a decade that the former Chief Minister has not hosted at Kalighat. Notably, the occasion has historically been less a private family ritual and more a public demonstration of her political network's depth and loyalty.
What Comes Next
The episode underscores the speed at which power's gravitational pull can reverse. Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress face the dual challenge of holding together a fractured party while mounting an opposition to the new BJP government in West Bengal. How quickly — and whether — she rebuilds her inner circle will be a key indicator of the party's recovery trajectory in the months ahead.
Point of View
The annual gathering at Kalighat was Mamata Banerjee's most visible proof of political loyalty — a festival where proximity to power wore the costume of family affection. That it did not happen this year, whatever the stated reason, is a data point about how quickly the ecosystem of access-driven loyalty collapses when power changes hands. The more troubling question for Trinamool Congress is structural: the absences are not random. Two ex-ministers are in custody, two more have crossed to a rebel faction. This is not normal post-election churn; it is an accelerated unravelling of a machine built around a single centre of gravity. How Banerjee reconstitutes her inner circle — and on what basis — will define whether TMC remains a credible opposition or fragments further.
NationPress
11 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Mamata Banerjee skip Bhai Phota at Kalighat this year?
Mamata Banerjee cancelled the annual Bhai Phota celebration at her Kalighat residence on 11 November, with Trinamool Congress citing it as a protest against the alleged arrest and harassment of party workers under the new BJP government in West Bengal. BJP leader Dilip Ghosh, however, claimed she skipped it because she anticipated a poor turnout given the exodus of former allies.
What did Dilip Ghosh say about Mamata Banerjee's Bhai Phota cancellation?
Dilip Ghosh, West Bengal's Panchayat Affairs and Rural Development Minister, said Banerjee cancelled because she knew former loyalists would not show up now that she is out of power. He argued that past attendees came for proximity to power, not personal affection, and would not make the trip to Kalighat now that she holds no office.
Which TMC leaders are absent from Mamata Banerjee's inner circle?
Former ministers Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas, once regular faces at the Kalighat Bhai Phota, have aligned with the rebel TMC faction led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata. Former minister Indranil Sen is in judicial custody over an alleged fake UNESCO-tagged Durga Puja pass scam, and former minister Sujit Bose is in custody in a cash-for-municipalities recruitment scam.
Is this the first time Mamata Banerjee has cancelled Bhai Phota at Kalighat?
Yes, according to available reports this is the first time in over a decade that Banerjee has not hosted the Bhai Phota gathering at her Kalighat residence, making the cancellation a politically significant departure from an established annual tradition.
What does the Bhai Phota cancellation signal for Trinamool Congress?
The cancellation, combined with the realignment of senior leaders to a rebel faction and two ex-ministers in judicial custody, reflects a broader fragmentation of the TMC's power structure following the party's Assembly election defeat. It raises questions about Banerjee's ability to hold the party together while leading the opposition in West Bengal.
