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Addressing the annual July 21 Martyrs' Day rally held near Birla Planetarium, Mamata urged opposition partners to work together despite existing differences. “I want everyone to unite under the banner of the INDIA alliance in Bengal to fight the BJP. I do not have any ego. I urge others also to keep aside their differences and fight together,” she said.
Although Mamata did not directly name the Congress or the Communist Party of India (Marxist), her remarks were viewed as an appeal to the Trinamool Congress’ partners in the INDIA alliance, with whom the party has maintained a strained relationship in West Bengal despite their association at the national level.
During her address, Mamata described leaders who had abandoned the Trinamool Congress as “traitors” and accused them of working as supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party. She said the party had enough young leaders and workers to replace those who had left.
“I have many people to fill the places of those leaders who jumped ship after the setback in the Assembly elections,” she said. Challenging the defectors, she added, “I challenge the traitors to directly join the BJP and fight elections.”
“If you want to support the BJP, go to the BJP. The more of you who leave, the happier I will be. My students and youth workers are there to fill every vacancy,” Mamata said.
Calling the defectors “thieves”, she added, “Those thieves have gone to the BJP. I will never take them back.”
The Martyrs' Day programme organised by Mamata Banerjee’s faction took place near Birla Planetarium, while the breakaway faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee conducted a parallel rally on Mayo Road in central Kolkata.
Mamata alleged that rebel leaders, with assistance from the Bharatiya Janata Party, were attempting to take control of the Trinamool Congress’ “twin flower” election symbol. However, she asserted that the symbol could not be taken away because she remains the founder-chairperson of the party.
She also announced that she would soon begin a tour across districts of West Bengal. “After this, I will travel across the districts. I want to see who has the power to stop me,” she said, in an apparent challenge to the rebel group.
The former West Bengal chief minister further accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of attempting to disrupt her faction’s Martyrs' Day programme. She alleged that party workers had to guard the stage throughout the previous night after it was targeted.
The Trinamool Congress is currently facing its most serious organisational challenge since its formation in 1998. Several senior leaders and legislators have joined a rival faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee, with many linking the departures to the increasing influence of Abhishek Banerjee within the party.
The internal conflict has also extended to Parliament, where several Lok Sabha members have broken away from the Mamata Banerjee-led faction. With rival groups now operating separate organisational structures, the leadership battle has become the biggest challenge confronting the Trinamool Congress and could significantly shape the party’s future political direction in West Bengal.
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