'You Think I'm Dead?': Mamata Banerjee Draws Battle Lines, Calls TMC Rebels 'BJP-Sponsored Agents'
- Jul 10
- 2 min read
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserted her authority over the party's symbol and candidates while challenging rebels to formally join the BJP.
By Pranjal Gupta
New Delhi, July 10: "You cannot align with the BJP while claiming to be from Trinamool," said West Bengal's former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is now struggling to keep the party from splitting. After the 2026 state Assembly elections, many of her loyalists exited, went to Delhi, and expressed full support for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Meanwhile, back at home, those who remained with Mamata were confronted with violence and thrown into lock-ups on baseless accusations, said the TMC supremo in a self-recorded video.
"You betrayed the party that was like a mother to you. You are openly aligning with the BJP now," said Mamata, adding, "I will know that you have defected to the BJP. But being with the BJP and trying to break the party, do you think I am dead?"
Mamata's detailed statement comes after former TMC leaders Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Prakash Chik Baraik, who resigned last month, joined the BJP on Thursday. Hours later, the BJP fielded them for the Rajya Sabha bypolls.
Account Frozen, Rebel Leaders Claim Ownership
Prior to that on Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) froze three bank accounts of TMC, holding deposits worth Rs 440 crore, under the anti-money laundering law following searches in an alleged funds misappropriation case.
The Trinamool Congress is facing a crisis identical to Maharashtra's Shiv Sena split. A rebel section of the TMC led by Ritabrata Banerjee in the Assembly, which is still in the party, is claiming to be the original TMC because a majority of MLAs are with them.
'It Was I'
The TMC itself was born out of Mamata's rebellion against the Congress. While addressing the matter in the video, Mamata said, "Our next election is scheduled for October 2027, not now."
She added: "It was I, as the Chairperson of the All India Trinamool Congress, who allocated the 'Twin Flowers' symbol. I was the one who named the party and signed the relevant documents. Your names, too, were decided by my office and forwarded with my signature. It was only after the EPIC forms were submitted and accepted by the Election Commission that you could become the party's candidates."
Meanwhile, 20 of 28 Lok Sabha MPs, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, broke away from the main party and joined a smaller, registered unrecognised political party called the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). All of them extended their full support to the BJP.
"Let me tell those who are being treacherous and disloyal, acting in lockstep with the BJP and following their diktats, or serving as BJP-sponsored agents, if you have the guts, go join the BJP."
"To silence me, you would have to kill me. Yes, you didn't spare any effort on that either," said Mamata.
