Written by Atri MitraKolkata | Updated: October 10, 2025 07:51 PM IST 3 min readSujit Bose was closely associated with bringing football legend Diego Maradona to Kolkata in 2017. (Source: FB)For the second time in as many years, West Bengal Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose was the subject of an Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid in connection with a municipal jobs scam case that allegedly took place across multiple civic bodies in the state between 2014 and 2018.The ED conducted extensive searches across at least 11 locations in Kolkata and surrounding areas, including a building that houses Bose’s office. On January 12, 2024, ED officials searched Bose’s two homes and office in Lake Town and seized several documents and his mobile phone in connection with the probe.Once a close aide of CPI(M) heavyweight leader Subhash Chakraborty, the 62-year-old started his political career in the DYFI, the CPI(M)’s youth organisation. However, towards the late 1990s, his differences with Chakraborty started to grow and he became a rebel within the party. In 2001, three years after Mamata Banerjee floated the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Bose moved to the then Opposition party that had been struggling against the CPI(M)’s overarching dominance. Soon, he became one of Banerjee’s top lieutenants.In 2006, he took on Chakraborty, the Transport Minister and his former political mentor, from Belgachia East, a seat the CPI(M) heavyweight had been winning since 1977, but lost by a narrow 1,749 votes even as the Left stormed back to power by winning 235 of the 294 Assembly constituencies. The result in Belgachia East showed that Chakraborty’s iron grip on Kolkata’s Bidhannagar area was loosening. Bose’s turn to take his mentor’s place came after the latter died in 2009. In the bypoll that followed, the TMC leader defeated Chakraborty’s wife Ramala.After delimitation, Bose moved over to the Bidhannagar constituency and won it in 2011, 2016, and 2021, the last victory propelling him to the Mamata Banerjee-led Cabinet. In 2021, he declared total assets worth Rs 6.58 crore, up from Rs 60.5 lakh a decade earlier.Of late, Bose has come under criticism over major fires, several of which occurred in Kolkata. In June, 1,300 shops were gutted in a major fire in the Khidderpore area. In response, the minister said the government was planning to propose the construction of 25 new fire stations across the state.As his political clout grew, Bose also came to be identified with the Sreebhumi Sporting Club Durga Puja in his constituency as one of its chief patrons. The Puja pandal, close to the arterial VIP Road that connects the city to the airport, draws such a massive crowd that it often leads to huge traffic jams. In 2023, referring to the traffic snarls because of the Puja, Mamata Banerjee chided Bose, saying, “Sab cheye dushtumi korey Sujit (Sujit is the most mischievous one). He does it (Durga Puja) in such a manner that people can’t come from the airport. This time, I will tell the police to ensure that the (traffic around the) airport is not disturbed. Sujit, you will have to see to it while organising the Puja.”Story continues below this adBose was closely associated with bringing football legend Diego Maradona to Kolkata in 2017. During the visit, Maradona unveiled his own 12-foot statue in Lake Town holding the 1986 World Cup trophy.Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal. Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:BengalMamata Banerjee