'I'll Resign Within An Hour If They...': Abhishek Banerjee's Open Challenge To Rebel TMC Leaders

Published 18 July 2026 · politics

'I'll Resign Within An Hour If They...': Abhishek Banerjee's Open Challenge To Rebel TMC Leaders Published By, Last Updated: July 18, 2026, 18:43 IST Abhishek

'I'll Resign Within An Hour If They...': Abhishek Banerjee's Open Challenge To Rebel TMC Leaders Published By, Last Updated: July 18, 2026, 18:43 IST Abhishek Banerjee's remarks come at a time when several TMC MLAs and MPs have left Mamata and joined NCP and the TMC Ritabrata faction, blaming him for the crisis within the party. Several prominent Trinamool Congress MPs have emerged as part of the growing rebel camp, deepening the crisis within the party and challenging its leadership. (IMAGE: PTI) Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee has challenged party rebels who have accused him of weakening the organisation, saying he is ready to resign if they return to Mamata Banerjee’s leadership. Addressing the rebellion within the party, Abhishek said those who had left the TMC and were now blaming him should come back to Mamata Banerjee. “Those who left the party and are now abusing or blaming me today… I challenge them to return to Didi. If they do, I will resign from the party within an hour," he said. He alleged that the rebels would not return because they had struck an deal with the BJP. “They have made a deal with the BJP: leave the party, join the rebel camp or the BJP, and then blame and abuse Abhishek Banerjee," he said.

He also said that if he was the reason behind the rebellion, he would step down within 24 hours if the rebel leaders returned to Mamata Banerjee’s party. Rebellion within TMC Abhishek Banerjee’s remarks come at a time when several rebel TMC MLAs and MPs have left Mamata Banerjee and joined the NCP and the TMC Ritabrata faction, blaming him for the crisis within the party. Among those reported to have left or broken away from the TMC are Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik. A larger rebel bloc of around 19 to 20 MPs including Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sharmila Sarkar, Prasun Banerjee, Jagadish Chandra Basunia, Arup Chakraborty, Kalipada Soren, Shatabdi Roy, June Malia, Mala Roy, Yusuf Pathan, Rachana Banerjee, Bapi Haldar, Mitali Bag, Khalilur Rahaman, Abu Taher Khan, Asit Mal, Dev Adhikari and Partha Bhowmick have merged with Tripura-based NCP and have lent their support to BJP. Senior leaders resign, join rival camps Recently, Madan Mitra has resigned from TMC’s organisational posts and joined a rebel faction, though he has said he has not resigned as an MLA. He criticised Abhishek Banerjee’s leadership style, describing it as centralised and “Hitlerian", and alleged that the party was weakening under one-person control. Sukhendu Sekhar Ray resigned from the Rajya Sabha and the party, while Sushmita Dev stepped down from the Rajya Sabha and party posts.