West BengalTrinamool CongressSovandeb ChattopadhyayLeader of Opposition2026 Assembly Elections
Sovandeb Chattopadhyay Appointed West Bengal Opposition Leader After TMC Electoral Defeat
Published: May 11, 2026
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The Trinamool Congress has appointed Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition in the 18th West Bengal Legislative Assembly after the party lost power to the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2026 state elections. Chattopadhyay, a 10-time MLA, retained the Ballygunge seat by 61,476 votes, defeating BJP candidate Shatarupa Chattopadhyay.
A founding member of the TMC and long-time ally of Mamata Banerjee, Chattopadhyay began his political career with the Congress, winning Baruipur in 1991 and 1996. After joining TMC in 1998, he won successive elections from Rashbehari, Bhabanipur, Khardaha, and Ballygunge, becoming the first TMC candidate ever elected to the Assembly. He served as Chief Whip and held key ministerial portfolios, including Power, Agriculture, and Parliamentary Affairs.
Chattopadhyay, born in 1944, was trained as a boxer and previously worked with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation before entering full-time politics. He has led labor organizations, including the Kolkata Auto Rickshaw Operators' Union and the INTTUC, TMC's workers' wing. He resigned from Bhabanipur in 2021 to allow Banerjee to contest a by-election, later winning from Khardaha.
He has publicly criticized internal party dynamics, accusing senior leaders, including Aroop Biswas, of undermining his authority and using coercive tactics. He also exposed a job scam involving TMC-linked figures allegedly accepting money from youth in exchange for government positions.
The West Bengal Assembly is expected to convene next month, where Chattopadhyay will formally assume his role as LoP and lead TMC's legislative strategy in opposition.