Mamata skips Bhai Phonta celebrations; her brother joins rebel camp, praises Suvendu

Kolkata Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday (November 11, 2026) skipped the Bhai Phonta festivities at her residence, breaking a tradition going back several years when leaders of her party would make a beeline to seek her blessing. https://www.thehindu.com/elections/candidates/WestBengal2026/mamata-banerjee-1561/ Also read | Mamata Banerjee, CPI(M) bridge decades-old divide over Election Commission concerns https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/west-bengal/mamata-banerjee-cpim-bridge-decades-old-divide-over-election-commission-concerns/article71509592.ece Celebrated as Bhai Dooj in other parts of India, sisters apply a tika on their brothers’ foreheads as a mark of love, and pray for their long and healthy lives. Ms. Banerjee, who is also called ‘ Didi’ (elder sister), would offer the tilak to a number of her party leaders and supporters. “Mamata di is not observing Bhai Phonta. She did not observe Bijoya [Vijayadasami] before. She will not observe Bhai Phonta this time either.