Mamata Tells Defectors: Those Who Want to Leave Can Go

Mamata Banerjee has urged leaders and workers of the All India Trinamool Congress to rebuild the party organization following its major defeat in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections, while stating that members wishing to leave the party were free to do so. Addressing a meeting of the party’s contesting candidates at her Kalighat residence on Friday, Banerjee said the Trinamool Congress would recover from the electoral setback and reorganize itself despite the scale of the defeat. The meeting was also attended by the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

According to party sources, Banerjee told leaders that the organization must focus on rebuilding damaged party offices and reconnecting with workers at the grassroots level. “Those who are leaving for other parties, let them go. I will rebuild the party afresh,” she reportedly said during the closed-door meeting. She also encouraged party members to repaint and reopen local offices that had become inactive after the election results, adding that she herself was willing to participate in the rebuilding process if required. Banerjee maintained that the party would not “bow down” and repeated allegations that the public mandate had been “looted.”

The All India Trinamool Congress suffered one of its biggest electoral setbacks in the latest assembly polls, winning only 80 seats out of the 294-member assembly. The party had contested 291 seats while leaving three constituencies in the Darjeeling hills for ally Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha, led by Anit Thapa. Out of the 291 seats contested by the Trinamool Congress, 211 candidates were defeated, including several senior ministers and prominent party leaders. Banerjee herself also lost from Bhabanipur, a constituency long regarded as her political stronghold.

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The meeting at Kalighat was held amid growing speculation regarding internal dissatisfaction within the party and the possibility of defections following the electoral defeat. Banerjee had earlier acknowledged such concerns during a press conference held shortly after the results were declared on May 5. At that time, she had stated that some leaders could choose to switch political camps due to personal or political compulsions. She had also said she did not believe in preventing anyone from leaving the party against their wishes, signaling a more open approach toward internal dissent during a difficult period for the organization.

Later on Friday, the party’s official social media accounts shared photographs from the meeting and praised candidates for their efforts during the election campaign. In a post on X, the Trinamool Congress said its candidates had fought with “unmatched courage” despite facing intimidation and difficult political circumstances during the polls. The statement also emphasized that the party remained united “as one family” and reiterated allegations that the electoral mandate had been unfairly taken away, a charge that several Trinamool leaders have continued to raise after the election outcome.

Political observers view the meeting as an attempt by Mamata Banerjee to stabilize the party organization, boost morale among defeated candidates, and send a message of unity to workers across the state. The assembly election result marked a dramatic reversal for a party that had dominated West Bengal politics for years. With concerns over defections, organizational restructuring, and rebuilding public support now becoming central challenges, the Trinamool Congress leadership is expected to focus heavily on strengthening its grassroots network ahead of future political contests in the state.

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