Mamata hits out at Trinamool rebels, dares them to join BJP

Trinamool Congress chairperson and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday (July 4, 2026) hit out at party rebels and said that they had committed betrayal after winning on the party symbol and dared them to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

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“The party was like a mother to you and you have betrayed it. You are directly supporting the BJP. You will support the BJP and then claim to be Trinamool [but] that cannot happen, because the ideology of Trinamool is against the BJP,” Ms. Banerjee said during a social media live session.

The former Chief Minister broke her weeks-long silence when her party had split with a majority of MLAs and Lok Sabha MPs deciding to switch their loyalties after the defeat in the Assembly polls.

“Those who are dishonest and traitors, those who are sponsored by the BJP, I dare them to join the BJP. With the support of the BJP, you want to break the party. What do you think, am I dead?” she asked.

Ms. Banerjee made her remarks two days after the rebel MLAs led by Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee appeared before the full bench of Election Commission of India (EC). The EC has sought response from both the factions of the party.

‘Believe symbol will be with us’

Ms. Banerjee said that if the EC decides to snatch the party symbol away from her and give it to the rebels even then it will not make much of a difference as the people will decide who is the Trinamool Congress.

“We believe that the symbol will remain with us. But if we imagine that Vanish Kumar [pointing to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar] who conducted the elections to finish us, takes away the symbol from us, how does it matter?” she said.

Ms. Banerjee spoke on a host of issues, including school children not receiving eggs under the mid-day meal scheme, denial of permission for the party to hold a rally on July 21 in front of Victoria House, and the arrests of party workers by the ruling BJP in the State.

“It has been noticed that repeated attacks have been carried out against Trinamool Congress leaders and workers, including attacks on Abhishek Banerjee, Mahua Moitra and several party leaders and workers,” Ms. Banerjee said. She alleged that many party workers have been subjected to custodial harassment, including being forced to sleep on the floor, being shackled, humiliated, and subjected to degrading treatment.

Extends wishes to Suvendu

The Trinamool Congress chairperson while extending her best wishes to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said that she had campaigned for him several times.

“Let me say this: becoming Chief Minister does not erase history. You were once in Congress, you lost elections several times, and I personally campaigned in your constituency because it was my responsibility — not something I claim credit for. You also served for nearly a decade as a Trinamool Congress MLA and Minister, holding portfolios such as Transport and Irrigation, overseeing several districts,” she said.

Mr. Adhikari, who defeated Mamata Banerjee twice in Nandigram in 2021 Assembly polls and Bhabanipur in 2026 polls, had defected from Trinamool Congress to BJP in December 2020.

Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee asked how so many people can become dishonest and suggested that there is need for introspection by the Trinamool Congress chairperson. He said that the party under Mamata Banerjee was “run like a private company” and leaders were not given any respect.