Ritabrata Bandyopadhyay Removed From CPI(M)'s Bengal State Committee For 'Lavish Lifestyle'

Kolkata: CPI(M) on Tuesday removed Rajya Sabha MP Ritabrata Bandyopadhyay from its West Bengal state committee.

Party insiders told News18, “Majority of members spoke against him. Even some of the senior party leaders, who backed him in many occasions, decided not to go against party’s collective decision.”

Bandyopadhyay was suspended from the party on June 2 for ‘leading a lavish life-style’, owning expensive watches and electronic gadgets, against party’s ideology.

On Monday, during the party meet, the matter was discussed but opinion was divided. “There was a division of opinion over Bandyopadhyay’s fate but finally members decided to sack him for crossing party line,” a senior party member told News18.

As per norms, the state committee’s decision on Bandyopadhyay will be sent to the party’s Politburo and then to the central committee will take a final decision.

A three-member committee – formed to look into the complaints against Bandyopadhyay – submitted its report to party secretariat on August 2. The committee was headed by senior party MP Mohammed Salim.

Bandyopadhyay is known to be very close to Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and he is the one who recommended his name for the Rajya Sabha seat. Over the years (after he became the MP in 2014), Bandyopadhyay developed serious differences with Left Front Chairman Biman Bose.

On June 2, Bandyopadhyay was suspended from the party for ‘leading a lavish life’ and for using expensive watches and electronic gadgets.

He is the former General Secretary of the Students’ Federation of India. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal on February 2014. He has been accused of heckling West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra outside Niti Aayog office in New Delhi.

Opponents have often taken potshot at Bandyopadhyay on social media for his use of Apple watch, Mont Blanc pen and other expensive gadgets. The party was also annoyed with Bandyopadhyay for holding meetings with Union Ministers of BJP and representatives of big industrial houses in New Delhi, sources said.