Leave with all your belongings, Mamata tells deserters

With back-to-back leaders deserting her, Trinamool Congress party chairperson and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday (July 16, 2026) said that those facing pressure from Central agencies should leave with “all their belongings” before July 21.

TMC MLA Madan Mitra attends Mamata camp’s assembly protest days after joining rebel faction

“I request those who are facing various pressures from the ED, CBI or BJP to leave before July 21. Leave with all your belongings,” the Trinamool chairperson said on social media live.

The remarks came on the day Rajya Sabha MP Koel Mallick resigned and met Union Minister and BJP leader Bhupendra Yadav. On Wednesday, Ms. Banerjee’s long-time aide Madan Mitra changed sides and joined the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool.

Ms. Banerjee, who is facing one of the biggest challenges of her political life, said those who remain with her will be her “greatest strength”. “They will build the future. If we could begin afresh in 1997 [when she left Congress and set up Trinamool], we can certainly do so again in 2026,” she said.

“BJP leaders say they will erase our name and symbol. But many political parties have changed their names and symbols over time, while their identity has endured. You may change a name through the force of power, but you cannot erase an ideology or a direction,” she added.

Ms. Banerjee, who has exhorted her supporters to join the Martyrs’ Day rally on July 21, alleged that the administration and the police are pressuring people to stay away from the event. “I know the police are telling people not to come and threatening to stop them. I appeal to the administration to remain neutral,” she said.

‘Things will change’

She said that the rebels are doing everything with the “backing from Delhi”. “Remember, life is long. If things start to shake in Delhi, the situation here will change as well,” she said, adding that it does not matter how many MPs are bought.

The Trinamool chairperson spoke on a number of issues, including the hunger strike of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, and asked why the government was not holding discussions with him. Ms. Banerjee has called and spoken to the activist who is demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dhamendra Pradhan.

“Even after Sonam’s prolonged hunger strike, no government official met him. When I fasted for 26 days, no one from the government came to speak to me either. After 20 days, Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi, Mahasweta Devi, Kabir Suman, V. P. Singh, and several other leaders visited me,” she said.

Another switch

During the day there were reports that another Trinamool leader, former Rajarhat-Newtown MLA Tapas Chatterjee, was also going to leave Ms. Banerjee and join the Ritabrata camp. The faction has the support of over 65 of the 80 MLAs. Ms. Banerjee had described it as a “setting-party” of the BJP.