Three years after being jailed in the teachers' recruitment scam, suspended TMC leader Partha Chatterjee may return to the Assembly this winter session, but "only as a common member," Speaker Biman Banerjee said on Wednesday, putting an end to speculation of any special treatment.

"Parthababu is no longer a minister to qualify for an exclusive room. He is now only a member. Whatever facilities ordinary MLAs get, he will get the same," the Speaker told reporters.

Chatterjee walked out of jail earlier this month after three years, three months and 19 days in custody, following his 2022 arrest by the ED in the school recruitment scam.

Once a trusted general in Mamata Banerjee’s inner circle, his fall was rapid: stripped of the general secretaryship, suspended from the party for six years, and dropped from the cabinet.

Yet, his release has stirred a political storm. Questions swirl over whether he will attend the winter session, whether he will speak, and whether his Behala Paschim base, his stronghold for five consecutive terms, will stand by him ahead of 2026.

Chatterjee, however, is keeping his distance. At his Naktala residence, Vijayketan, he has retreated into near-complete seclusion.

Visitors say he speaks only through family members’ phones, avoids public contact, and has warned supporters against crowding the house.

In Behala Paschim, confusion has turned to disappointment. Supporters who had reopened his MLA coordination office at Manton in anticipation of his return found the crowds thinning after aides reportedly advised against "unnecessary visibility."

"Behala Paschim made him what he is. Even if the party suspended him, the people didn’t," said a veteran South Kolkata TMC leader. "After three years of absence, he should have come personally and apologised to the voters instead of only circulating leaflets."

During his imprisonment, residents say they received virtually no services from their MLA, while allegations of corruption continued to stain his legacy.

Despite media reports of his release, Chatterjee has not formally informed the Assembly Secretariat. Until he does, he cannot be allotted a seat or have his suspended MLA salary restored.

On the day of his release, Chatterjee declared he wished to speak for a day in the House during the winter session, a move that sparked speculation about a political comeback, or even a potential independent run if TMC denies him a ticket.