July 17, 2026

Mamata Banerjee has struck again. In a timeframe of 8 hours, she first allowed a murder case to be filed against senior WB Congress leader Manas Bhuiyan and then, after a closed door meeting with him, appointed him as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the WB assembly. Didi’s ways of creating confusion among opposition ranks are legendary, but this incident must take the cake.

The morning of 4th July saw the Congress party close ranks behind Bhuiyan and allege political vendetta in the charges. By the evening, Bhuiyan came out smiling and said that while he was soft on didi, she was also soft on him. This is an intriguing statement that can be interpreted in several ways; the easiest being both of them scratched each others’ back. The suspense is about the issue.

It is a matter of intrigue about what was discussed in the closed door meeting that changed Mamata’s mind. How could someone accused of being a murderer in the morning become so clean as to be entrusted with the huge responsibility of being the chairman of PAC in the evening? West Bengal politics is getting curiouser by the day.

But one thing is certain. With this one act, Mamata has created disunity in Congress. The buzz is that Bhuiyan will crossover to Trinamool soon.