TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Sunday called up Anubrata Mondal during the first meeting of the party’s newly formed Birbhum district core committee.

Mamata’s phone call sparked a political debate over Mondal’s influence, just two days after he was replaced by Asish Banerjee as district party president and made a member of the new nine-member core committee.

“After the announcement of his (Mondal’s) removal as district TMC chief and the formation of the new core committee, Didi (Mamata) had asked for a meeting (in Birbhum) on Sunday,” said a core committee member. “There was buzz that Mondal, smarting at his removal as district chief, might not attend the meeting. However, he did.”

Mamata’s call from Calcutta during the meeting might have been a placatory gesture, he added.

Arrested by the CBI in 2022, Mondal spent nearly two years in Delhi’s Tihar jail for his alleged role in a multi-crore cattle smuggling case. Before that, he was touted as Birbhum’s strongman and one of Mamata’s close aides.

He and his daughter Sukanya were released on bail last September.

Contacted, Mondal said: “Didi called me and asked me to announce political programmes.... I said Asish da (Banerjee) will make the announcements.”

On whether he was upset about losing his post, he said he didn’t need a post. “Mamata Banerjee once wanted to send me to the Rajya Sabha. I could have become an MP, an MLA or a minister earlier. I’ve never cared about holding any post as I love to work for people,” Mondal said.