Kolkata: In a significant political development ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, Chandra Bose, Netaji’s great-grandson, joined the Trinamool Congress on Sunday. He was inducted into the ruling party in the presence of senior leaders Bratya Basu and Kirti Azad.
Soon after joining, Bose launched a sharp attack on the BJP, stating that the party does not follow the ideals of Subhas Chandra Bose. He said it was not possible to work for Netaji’s ideology while being in the BJP. Explaining his decision, Bose alleged that the BJP promotes divisive politics and spreads communal hatred, adding that there is a need to “fight to save India” from such tendencies.
Chandra Bose had joined the BJP in 2016 and contested against Mamata Banerjee from Bhowanipore in the Assembly elections that year. He later contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from South Kolkata but failed to secure a win. Over time, his differences with the BJP leadership became evident and in 2023, he formally resigned from the party.
Following his exit, Bose had repeatedly expressed admiration for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In a social media post last month, he described his decision to join the BJP as a “historic mistake,” criticising any political approach that seeks electoral gains by creating divisions among voters.
Notably, despite being the great-grandson of Subhas Chandra Bose, Chandra Bose was also called for a hearing in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision process.