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Ex-bureaucrats, economists, journalists appointed by Mamata quit after TMC ouster
Several former bureaucrats and Banerjee-appointed advisers resigned following the TMC's defeat in the West Bengal assembly elections. The resignations include former chief secretaries Alapan Bandyopadhyay, HK Dwivedi and Manoj Pant, economist Abhirup Sarkar, a former journalist, and advocate general Kishore Datta. The moves come as Mamata Banerjee refuses to step down.
Why It Matters
The resignations reflect significant turnover among senior administrators and political appointees after a major electoral defeat, potentially reshaping the administrative-advisory landscape in West Bengal.
Timeline
4 Events
Resignations of ex-bureaucrats, ex-advisors and journalist on May 5, 2026
May 5, 2026
On May 5, 2026, several former bureaucrats and Banerjee-appointed advisors tendered their resignations: Abhirup Sarkar said he had already tendered his resignation to the department secretaries on May 5; Alapan Bandyopadhyay said he had sent his resignation to the state's chief secretary; HK Dwivedi and Manoj Pant (former chief secretaries who had been appointed as Banerjee's advisers) also resigned; a former journalist serving as a media advisor in the Information and Cultural Affairs department resigned; Kishore Datta, the advocate general, submitted his resignation to Governor RN Ravi.
West Bengal assembly elections held; results announced (April 2026)
April 2026
West Bengal assembly elections were held in April 2026. The BJP won 207 of 294 seats, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) secured 80.
Alapan Bandyopadhyay retires and becomes adviser (May 31, 2021)
May 31, 2021
Alapan Bandyopadhyay, then West Bengal chief secretary, chose to retire from service on May 31, 2021 rather than avail a state-extended tenure. Mamata Banerjee later announced that he would not join Delhi, instead appointing him as her chief adviser.
Centre recall of Alapan Bandyopadhyay (May 2021)
May 2021
In May 2021, the Centre issued an order to recall Alapan Bandyopadhyay, then chief secretary of West Bengal, for missing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting in the aftermath of cyclone Yaas. The state was asked to relieve the IAS officer and direct him to report to North Block. Mamata Banerjee requested withdrawal of the order and later announced that Bandyopadhyay had retired and would not join in Delhi, appointing him as her chief adviser.