Several prominent Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders and former West Bengal ministers who were once the public faces of Kolkata's biggest community Durga Puja committees are conspicuously absent from this year's festivities, as legal troubles, internal party fractures, and political distancing reshape the landscape of the city's most celebrated festival.

Sujit Bose: Sreebhumi Puja without its patron

The iconic Sreebhumi Sporting Club Puja at Lake Town, which drew record footfalls last year for its elaborate pandal themes, has long been synonymous with former Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose. This year, however, Bose is notably absent — currently in judicial custody after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over his alleged involvement in the multi-crore municipalities' job case in West Bengal. A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court rejected his bail plea earlier this week, ensuring he spends the entire Puja season behind bars.

Firhad Hakim's near-total withdrawal from Chetla Agrani

Former West Bengal Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister and former Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim was long the defining face of the Chetla Agrani community Durga Puja in South Kolkata. Though Hakim remains a sitting legislator and is currently aligned with the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel faction within TMC, his involvement with Chetla Agrani this year is described as bare minimum or almost nil — a striking departure from his previously central role.

Aroop Biswas dropped from Suruchi Sangha's committee list

Former Power and Youth and Sports Minister Aroop Biswas has been removed entirely from the organising committee of Suruchi Sangha, a Puja that was commonly referred to last year as 'Aroopda's Pujo'. His name does not appear in any capacity on this year's committee list, marking a deliberate erasure of his association with the event.

Parth Chatterjee severs ties with Naktala Udayan Sangha

Former Education Minister Parth Chatterjee's connection with Naktala Udayan Sangha was once a defining feature of that Puja's identity. His arrest by the ED in July 2022 over alleged involvement in the multi-crore school job case in West Bengal stripped the event of much of its political glamour. After spending nearly three years in custody, Chatterjee was released last year, but he has since severed all association with the Naktala Udayan Sangha event. This year, he reportedly chose to remain at home with a small circle of childhood friends whom, according to him, he continues to regard as well-wishers.

Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee also step back

The withdrawal is not limited to those facing legal trouble. Mamata Banerjee, former West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo, who was among the most sought-after inaugurators of community Puja committees until last year, has not personally inaugurated a single Puja this year. Abhishek Banerjee, the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha member and a key figure in the party, has also kept his distance from committee events this season. Notably, this comes amid a turbulent period for TMC, with internal dissent, ongoing ED and CBI probes into multiple schemes, and the party's broader effort to manage its public image ahead of forthcoming electoral cycles.