Full Breakdown
Congress Leader Urges Mamata Banerjee to Rejoin Congress Amid TMC Crisis
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On October 1, 2026, senior Congress figure Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury publicly asked Mamata Banerjee, chairperson of the All India Trinamool Congress (Mamata All India Trinamool Congress (MAITC)), to return to the Indian National Congress and to bring any remaining TMC legislators with her.
Background & Context
Mamata Banerjee founded the Trinamool Congress in 1998 after leaving the Congress, later leading the party to end the Left Front’s 34-year rule in 2011 and dominate West Bengal politics for 15 years. In the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election, the TMC secured 80 seats in the 294-member Assembly, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the largest party. Within weeks of the result, the TMC experienced a major split: 58 rebel MLAs backed expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee as opposition leader, and a separate parliamentary faction joined the little-known NCPI and pledged support to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
Data & Statistics
- Assembly seats won by TMC: 80 of 294
- Rebel MLAs forming a legislative opposition: 58
- Remaining TMC MPs: over 20 formed a separate bloc that merged with NCPI
Official Statements & Responses
He urged her to “get rid of baggage,” a reference to nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
Mamata Banerjee has not directly responded to the invitation.
Criticism & Opposition
Sougata Roy, a TMC MP who remains loyal to Banerjee, said the party would consider any proposal only if it came from the Congress top leadership, emphasizing that the TMC is “a separate party now” and part of the INDIA alliance.
Debjit Sarkar, BJP West Bengal spokesperson, dismissed the TMC’s relevance, asserting that the party “has no purpose now” and that “whether they will join the Congress or not is up to them. We are ready to fight the Congress, TMC and CPI(M).” (Quote q1)
Why It Matters
Chowdhury’s overture highlights the depth of the TMC’s organisational crisis and the strategic calculus of the opposition INDIA bloc. If Banerjee were to rejoin the Congress, it could consolidate anti-BJP forces in West Bengal, potentially reshaping the state’s electoral dynamics ahead of the next Assembly cycle. Conversely, the TMC’s fragmentation may benefit the BJP, which already holds a plurality in the Assembly.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Whether they will join the Congress or not is up to them. We are ready to fight the Congress, TMC and CPI(M),” — Debjit Sarkar, west bengal spokesperson
- “Don't ask questions of this nature,” — Mamata Banerjee, TMC chief
What's Next
No formal proposal from the Congress leadership has been announced. The TMC’s internal realignments and the BJP’s positioning ahead of future state elections remain pending developments.