‘Professors’ cell of TMC to play active role in run-up to 2026 Assembly polls’

Kolkata: The West Bengal College and University Professors’ Association (WBCUPA), the professors’ cell of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), is set to play an active role in the lead-up to the 2026 Assembly election, announced state Education minister and WBCUPA president Bratya Basu.

At a meeting with WBCUPA’s state committee on Sunday, Basu highlighted the organisation’s restructuring under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s leadership. “We now have committees in every district, from the mountains to the sea. Units have been established in all state-run universities. WBCUPA will remain active and until the upcoming election, professors and teachers will be seen publicly and extensively supporting Mamata Banerjee and her development initiatives,” he stated.

WBCUPA vice-president Selim Box Mandal reaffirmed the association’s allegiance to TMC, declaring: “Professors across the state will stand by the Trinamool Congress and work towards its goals in 2026.” Another vice-president, Mahitosh Gayen, added: “Beyond our institutional work hours, we will protest against the Centre, advocate for education and contribute to the state’s development.”

Meanwhile, addressing Opposition claims that WBCUPA members receive preferential treatment in committee appointments, Basu admitted that there was “partial truth” to the allegations. “This is a government-affiliated organisation and as its president, I am a political figure. If there is a committee within a college or university, I would want my organisation’s members to be a part of it,” he stated.

However, he asserted that many genuine educationists are also part of these committees. “We have included several true educationists. I can point to numerous educationists in the new vice-chancellor (V-C) selection committees. Some have even come from outside our state. However, being associated with TMC does not mean they should be treated as outcasts,” he added.

Reacting to Union Minister of State for Education and Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar’s “tit-for-tat” remark, Basu criticised the BJP’s aggressive political stance. He referenced poet Satyendranath Dutta, questioning whether it is appropriate for Trinamool to retaliate in kind, emphasising that it is not.