Shovandeb Chatterjee has been appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) secured 80 seats in the state election, becoming the principal opposition party. Chatterjee, a long-time loyalist of TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee, was chosen to lead the party in the assembly.

Chatterjee won from the Ballygunge constituency, defeating BJP candidate Satarupa Chatterjee by 61,476 votes, marking his tenth consecutive legislative victory—a record in West Bengal’s political history. Despite his close association with Mamata Banerjee, he had earlier lost in Bhabanipur to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Born in 1944, Chatterjee began his political career with the Congress before joining TMC in 1998 and has remained active in labor organizations, including serving as president of the Kolkata Auto-Rickshaw Drivers’ Union.

His appointment underscores TMC’s continued influence in state politics even from the opposition benches, with Chatterjee’s long experience and organizational ties expected to shape the party’s legislative strategy.