Congress’ West Bengal unit President Somen Mitra passed away at a city hospital in the early hours of Thursday. He was 78.

Mitra was admitted due to heart and age-related issues and had tested negative for Covid-19. He is survived by his wife and son.

Mitra, a former Lok Sabha MP, was popularly called “chhor da” (younger brother in Bengali) in political circles and within the Congress party.

“WBPCC President Somen Mitra has breathed his last, a short while ago. As we struggle to come to terms with this immense loss, all our prayers and thoughts are with Dada’s family,” the party’s youth wing tweeted.

Once a firebrand leader in the 1960s and 70s, Mitra had worked his way up in the party and had been its integral part since his student politics days.

A three-time president of the Congress’ West Bengal unit, Mitra has been MLA for seven terms from the Sealdah assembly constituency.

In 2008 he left the Congress and floated his own party, Pragatisheel Indira Congress. A year later, he merged his outfit with the Trinamool Congress.

In 2009, he won the Diamond Harbour parliamentary seat on a Trinamool Congress ticket. He later quit the Trinamool and rejoined the Congress.