West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee has come out strongly in defence of her nephew and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee amid growing dissent and a series of defections from the ruling party ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Several senior leaders, including former TMC heavyweight Madan Mitra, recently quit the party and joined a rival political outfit. Some of the rebel leaders reportedly blamed Abhishek Banerjee's style of functioning for the growing discontent within the party.
Responding through a Facebook Live address, Mamata Banerjee dismissed the allegations, saying Abhishek was being unfairly targeted and made a scapegoat by leaders seeking to justify their exit.
"Abhishek is still fighting like a tiger. Even if he made mistakes in the past, they have all been forgiven," she said, asserting that criticism of the party's national general secretary was merely an excuse for leaders attempting to save themselves.
Without naming Madan Mitra directly, Mamata claimed one of the departing leaders had informed her that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had issued summons to his family shortly before switching sides. She alleged that central agencies such as the ED and the CBI were being used to pressure political leaders into joining what she described as a "setting company."
The TMC chief also apologised to the public for what she called "betrayers and traitors" who had abandoned the party.
Taking on political opponents who questioned her age and political future, Mamata said she had built the TMC from scratch in the past and was capable of doing so again if necessary. "Those who want to leave are free to go. My grassroots workers are my gold mine. I will remain in the field until the BJP is defeated," she declared.
