 held a crucial meeting at Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence on Friday as the party grappled){kind=link}
Mamata Banerjee personally contacts rebel MLAs as the Trinamool Congress battles its first major split in nearly three decades.
June 5, 2026: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) held a crucial meeting at Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence on Friday as the party grappled with the first major split in its 28-year history. Senior leaders including Abhishek Banerjee, Firhad Hakim, Derek O’Brien, Kunal Ghosh and Madan Mitra attended the meeting. While details of the discussions were not disclosed, party leaders indicated that Mamata Banerjee would address the developments herself.
Amid growing concerns over defections, Mamata Banerjee has personally reached out to several rebel legislators from districts such as Howrah, Murshidabad and North Dinajpur. The outreach comes after 58 MLAs backed the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction, which seized control of the TMC legislature party and appointed the expelled leader as Leader of the Opposition. Party insiders said Banerjee has been urging legislators to maintain communication and attend discussions aimed at finding a possible resolution.
The damage-control effort has also extended to Parliament, with senior TMC MPs reportedly tasked with preventing lawmakers from joining the breakaway faction. While the rebels have opposed the growing influence of Abhishek Banerjee, they continue to insist that Mamata Banerjee remains the party’s supreme leader. Rebel MLA Gulshan Mullick stated that Banerjee should continue leading the party and not be reduced to an advisory role, highlighting divisions even within the dissident camp.