Rebel husband’s ‘loyalist’ wife says she will stay by Didi’s side
Times of India | 16 June 2026
Kolkata: North Kolkata MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay may have joined Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), but his wife Nayna Bandyopadhyay, a five-time MLA, maintained on Monday that she will stick with Mamata Banerjee "till her last breath".
Speaking to TOI, Nayna said, "Sudip couldn't convince me. He has left (Trinamool), that's his business, he will figure that out. He did not listen to me. I can't take responsibility for him."
"I had referred to Mamata Banerjee as ‘Maa Durga'. I will stay with Maa Durga till my last breath. I am firm in my decision. I have told Didi I am not going anywhere. If Didi turns me away, I will wander the streets like an orphan," Nayna added.
Sudip had told reporters in Delhi on Sunday that he had not managed to convince his wife to join NCPI. "I have not been able to convince my wife yet. While Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay remains Trinamool's leader in the assembly, she (Nayna) continues to be the deputy leader," he said.
"I tried to convince her, then she tried to convince me. Eventually, a consensus was reached — to each their own," he added.
Sudip then cited the example of Trinamool's Saugata Roy and BJP's Tathagata Roy to make his point about two family members being on opposing sides of the political spectrum. "There are many examples in Kerala where a husband and wife are in different political parties," he said.
This is not the first time the couple has faced such a political choice. Around two decades ago, Sudip fell out with Mamata Banerjee and decided to contest the 2004 Lok Sabha elections as an independent and later aligned with Congress.
At the time, Nayna stood by her husband. Because of her support for Sudip and comments against the party line, she was suspended from Trinamool in 2004, even though she completed her term as an MLA until 2006. Sudip later returned to Trinamool.
When Sudip joined the rebel camp this time, Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh had said: "This is great marketing by BJP — buy one get one free. You don't just get a man wearing a wig, you also get a moving beauty parlour with him."
The comment drew a sharp reaction from Nayna on Monday. She said: "I have informed Didi. I have objections to this kind of language. He is insulting a woman. Kunalbabu will not dictate what my stand will be."
"Forget that I am an MLA, forget the party. First of all, I am a woman. How can he make such derogatory remarks against a woman? He should learn to respect women," she added.
Ghosh on his part said: "Nayna is my sister-in-law. We had taken an oath to not abandon Didi. Let's see if she continues to be by Didi's side. Her husband has left — he is an expert at switching parties. I hope she continues here."