Madan Mitra Challenges TMC Defectors to Face New Elections

Outside Mamata Banerjee’s Kolkata residence, party stalwart Madan Mitra dismantled claims from rebel leaders that they command the support of over 20 Members of Parliament. He dismissed the dissenters’ narrative as fiction, grounding the party’s legitimacy solely in the mandate granted to Banerjee by millions of voters.

Mitra challenged the defectors to test their political standing by resigning and facing fresh elections. He reminded the rebels that 2.30 crore people voted specifically for Banerjee, not for individual legislators who now claim a mandate of their own. The internal friction escalated following public statements from expelled MLAs Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, who insist they hold sway over a significant portion of the party’s rank and file.

The atmosphere at the chairperson’s residence remains charged, marked by a high-level meeting involving national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. While Mitra declined to disclose the specific outcomes of these discussions, the political landscape is shifting rapidly. The party is already navigating the fallout from the resignation of senior leader Firhad Hakim from his mayoral post, a departure that signals deepening instability within the TMC hierarchy.