Landlord asks Trinamool to vacate East Kolkata building housing party HQ

The leadership of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC) has been asked to vacate its temporary headquarters in East Kolkata after the owner of the rented property cited security concerns following post-election violence outside the building.

The multi-storey office complex along the EM Bypass in the Topsia area — popularly known as the temporary “Trinamool Bhaban” — has served as the party’s central operational hub for the past four years.

The building’s owner, businessman Montu Saha, who heads the well-known company Modern Decorators, confirmed that he had verbally informed the Trinamool leadership to vacate the premises within two months.

Saha said the decision was prompted primarily by security concerns after widespread vandalism erupted outside the building following the Assembly election results announced on 4 May.

“Immediately after the results of the Assembly elections were announced on 4 May, there was widespread vandalism outside that house. If there is any damage to the house, the loss will be mine. There is nothing else in this,” Saha said.

He denied any political pressure or motive behind the move and clarified that the Trinamool leadership had always paid rent as per the agreement.

According to Saha, the party has assured him that the building will be fully vacated within the stipulated timeframe.

The Trinamool Congress has not yet officially reacted to the development.

The temporary headquarters was rented in 2022 after the party leadership decided to demolish and rebuild its original Topsia headquarters following the 2021 assembly election victory.

Although the initial lease agreement was for two years, it was later extended as construction work on the permanent party office remained incomplete.

Over the last four years, the EM Bypass office emerged as the nerve centre of the party’s organisational and political activities.

Separate offices were reportedly maintained there for party supremo Mamata Banerjee and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

Key organisational meetings, election strategy sessions, press conferences and daily interactions involving senior party leaders, ministers and MLAs were routinely held at the premises.

The office was largely overseen by state president Subrata Bakshi and vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar.

With IANS inputs