Chief minister Mamata Banerjee publicly expressed her strong annoyance over the activities of the Trinamool Congress and a section of party leaders on Monday, soon after she met Chaitali Sarkar, the wife of TMC councillor Dulal Sarkar, who was gunned down by a gang of criminals on January 2.

Malda, a district where there is acute infighting within Mamata’s party, had hit the headlines as the police found that Narendranath Tiwari, the TMC president of the Englishbazar town block committee, had planned Sarkar’s murder. Tiwari, who had even hired gunmen for the deed, has been arrested and the party has expelled him.

Mamata, while speaking to newspersons and standing in front of Sarkar’s house, said she could not understand the politics of Malda.

“I simply do not comprehend the politics of Malda. We were defeated in both Lok Sabha seats of the district (in the 2024 polls) and we also could not win the Englishbazar Assembly seat (in the 2021 polls). Interestingly, at the civic polls, our candidates could win in their seats and we formed the boards in (both) municipalities (Englishbazar and Old Malda),” said the chief minister.

“There seems to be a mystery. Here, different (political) games are being played. If such games continue, it is the people who will eventually suffer,” Mamata added.

After Sarkar was murdered, Chaitali, who is also councillor at the Englishbazar municipality, had time and again claimed that some “top shots” in the district had orchestrated the murder.

“I will meet the chief minister and will tell her the necessary details. I suspect there are some masterminds behind the murder of my husband,” she had said.

Mamata, who landed in Malda this afternoon, went to the Sarkar residence in Mahanandapally area of Malda town.

There, she met Chaitali and stayed for around 40 minutes.

“I had a detailed talk with Chaitali. Some police officers were also with me. Dulal Sarkar had been familiar to me for a long time and was a tireless worker of our party. He was a popular leader too and his murder was shocking,” said Mamata.

So far, the police in Malda have arrested eight persons.

On Sunday, a 22-year-old man from Bihar, who allegedly rode a bike with three gunmen on the day of the murder, was nabbed in connection with the case.

“I had a talk with the DGP and have asked him to take stringent action against all those who were involved in this murder case,” she added, with Chaitali at her side.

After the chief minister left, Chaitali spoke to the media.

“I am grateful that Mamatadi came and me. She is our chief minister and also an elder sister to us. I have shared certain issues with her and she has assured me of all kinds of support,” said the murdered leader’s wife.