Mamata Banerjee has announced that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will contest the upcoming Bengal elections independently, a decision that has prompted reactions from its INDIA bloc ally.
A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dismissed the possibility of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) alliance with the Congress for the 2026 assembly elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut urged her to
A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dismissed the possibility of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) alliance with the Congress for the 2026 assembly elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut urged her to “continue to have dialogue” with the Congress. On Monday, Banerjee criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress for the Opposition’s poor performance in the Delhi and Haryana assembly elections, firmly ruling out any alliance with the Congress for the 2026 West Bengal polls.
Banerjee also expressed confidence in the TMC’s ability to secure a two-thirds majority in the 294-seat state assembly on its own. She conveyed this optimism during a meeting with her legislators and ministers.
Sanjay Raut, a leader from Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction, acknowledged that the TMC has historically contested Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections independently. However, he emphasized the Congress’s significant role in the INDIA bloc and suggested that Banerjee should maintain open communication with the party.
A minister present at Banerjee’s meeting revealed that the Chief Minister criticized the AAP and Congress for failing to support each other in the Haryana and Delhi elections, calling such behavior unacceptable. She also asserted that the Congress holds no relevance in Bengal.
Banerjee issued a stern warning against infighting and factionalism within the TMC, urging unity among party members. She also cautioned her leaders about the possibility of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attempting to include foreigners’ names in the voter list to influence the assembly polls.
In a surprising remark, Banerjee, who is often seen as having TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee as her second-in-command, declared that she has “no family” and that the party and the people of Bengal are her only family, according to an MLA present at the meeting.
Additionally, Banerjee announced plans to reorganize the party’s structure from the state level down to the booth level, including various wings. She instructed MLAs to submit three names each to senior leader Arup Biswas by February 25 for the selection of new office-bearers.
