Who's Jyotipriyo Mallick, the Bengal minister arrested by ED in ration scam

West Bengal minister Jyotipriyo Mallick, arrested for alleged corruption on Friday, rose from the ranks to the leadership of the state’s now ruling Trinamool Congress as a firm loyalist of party chief Mamata Banerjee.

He was a law student in the early 1980s when he entered politics as a member of the Chhatra Parishad, the student wing of the Congress, when the state was under the firm grip of the Left Front.

Mallick was drawn to politics by two firebrand leaders, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi and Mamata Banerjee, who eventually broke away from the Congress and formed the Trinamool Congress.

Once a Youth Congress leader introduced Mallick to Mamata Banerjee, she saw the potential in him. By the early nineties, he had gained proximity to Banerjee who then headed the state Youth Congress. In 1998, Mallick was among those who moved with Banerjee to the Trinamool.

Political journey

Mallick first entered the West Bengal Assembly in 2001 from Gaighata constituency in North 24 Parganas district, where he was born in 1958. He won the seat again in 2006. When the constituency was reserved for the SC category, he shifted to the neighbouring Habra seat and was elected thrice from there since 2011.

Prodded by Banerjee, Mallick began to build the Trinamool in North 24 Parganas after being made its district president in 2009, challenging the Left domination. His efforts led to the Trinamool winning 28 out of its 33 assembly seats.

After the TMC swept to power in 2011, Banerjee named Mallick the food supplies minister. He oversaw the capture of all Opposition-held municipalities in the district in 2015 and ensured a clean sweep in the 2014 Lok Sabha and the 2016 assembly elections as well.

Balu, as he’s widely known, attributed his political ascent to his staunch loyalty to Mamata Banerjee.

The downfall

As the food supplies minister, he played a pivotal role in eliminating fake ration cards from 2011 to 2013. However, his tenure came under scrutiny during the pandemic in 2020 when confrontations outside ration shops were reported due to the denial of food supplies.

Amid allegations of corruption, he was remove| d as the district president in August 2020. He became the forest minister in 2021. But very often his statements dragged him into needless controversies.

Now 65, Mallick was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate on Friday in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged multi-crore ration distribution scam in the state.

(With agency inputs)