From SFI to mainstream: Minakshi Mukherjee is a new voice of the Left in West Bengal | 5 key facts

Minakshi Mukherjee is contesting from Uttarpara in 2026 as part of CPI(M)’s youth-focused leadership.

Published on: Apr 26, 2026, 12:12:56 IST

By Aditi Anand

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Minakshi Mukherjee is a young leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and a prominent face of its student and youth movement in West Bengal. She rose through the Students' Federation of India, building her political identity around student rights, education issues, and campus activism.

CPI-M candidate Minakshi Mukherjee (L), TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee (centre), and BJP's Suvendu Adhikari (R) clashed in a direct electoral contest on April 1 in Nandigram.

In the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, she is contesting from the Uttarpara constituency in Hooghly district as a CPI(M) candidate. She faces a three-way contest against BJP’s Dipanjan Chakraborty and TMC’s Kanchak Mallick, making it a closely watched triangular battle between the three major political forces in the state.

ALSO READ | Full list of CPI(M) candidates for 2026 West Bengal assembly elections

5 key facts about Minakshi Mukherjee

Minakshi Mukherjee began her political journey through student activism with Students' Federation of India and later joined Democratic Youth Federation of India in 2008.
She rose quickly within DYFI and became its West Bengal state president in 2018, the same year she entered the state committee of Communist Party of India (Marxist).
She contested the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections from Nandigram against heavyweight leaders Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari as part of the Left-Congress-ISF alliance.
She was actively involved in protests, notably the 2021 Nabanna Abhijan demanding jobs, which became politically significant due to clashes with police.
In October 2021, she became the first woman state secretary of DYFI and continued activism through later protests, including the 2022 Anish Khan case and 2024 Left Front rally.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aditi Anand
Aditi Anand is an undergraduate student of English at Miranda House, University of Delhi, with an interest in media and the shifting dynamics of public discourse. She is particularly curious about how narratives are shaped, circulated, and received in contemporary spaces. Her work is informed by close observation and an engagement with everyday life, often examining the intersections of personal experience and broader social contexts. She is drawn to questions of voice, representation, and the ways in which perception is influenced by both language and environment. Beyond the newsroom, she is interested in literature and enjoys writing poetry, approaching it as a space for reflection and creative exploration alongside her analytical work. Her writing aims to balance clarity with nuance, focusing on presenting ideas in a way that is accessible while still engaging with their complexity. She approaches writing with intent and attentiveness, aiming to contribute meaningfully to conversations while continuing to develop a voice that is thoughtful and grounded.Read More

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