Leena Gangopadhyay resigns as Bengal women’s panel chief after regime change

Leena Gangopadhyay has resigned as chairperson of the West Bengal Commission for Women following the change of government in the state, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

Gangopadhyay stepped down before completing her tenure, which was scheduled to end in July this year. She had been appointed to the position in July 2023 during the rule of the All India Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee.

Known as a prominent figure in the Bengali entertainment industry, Gangopadhyay has built a reputation as a writer, producer and director in Tollywood. She also runs a production company and has often been regarded as being close to the Trinamool Congress leadership.

Her resignation comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party ended the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule in West Bengal by winning the recent assembly elections.

Gangopadhyay had earlier indicated her intention to resign following controversy surrounding the death of Bengali actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee earlier this year.

The actor drowned on 29 March while reportedly shooting for a television serial at Talsari beach in Odisha. The serial was being produced by Gangopadhyay’s production company.

Following the incident, Gangopadhyay initially claimed there had been no water-based shooting sequence planned and alleged that the actor had entered the sea on his own. However, subsequent reports suggested that Banerjee drowned while filming was underway.

The actor’s wife, actress Priyanka Sarkar, later lodged a complaint against Gangopadhyay and several members of the production team. The incident triggered criticism from sections of the Bengali film and television industry, with some actors, directors and technicians distancing themselves from her production company.

At the height of the controversy, Gangopadhyay had publicly expressed a desire to resign from the women’s commission to avoid allegations of influencing the investigation into the actor’s death. However, she did not formally step down at the time.

Her resignation has now come in the wake of the political transition in the state following the BJP’s electoral victory.

With IANS inputs