Poster, Compliment, TMC’s Political Throwback: Kalyan Banerjee-Priyanka Gandhi’s Light Moment | Watch

Published 30 July 2026 · politics

Poster, Compliment, TMC’s Political Throwback: Kalyan Banerjee-Priyanka Gandhi’s Light Moment | Watch Published By, Last Updated: July 30, 2026, 14:24 IST Priyanka Gandhi countered by

Poster, Compliment, TMC’s Political Throwback: Kalyan Banerjee-Priyanka Gandhi’s Light Moment | Watch Published By, Last Updated: July 30, 2026, 14:24 IST Priyanka Gandhi countered by recalling the late Rajiv Gandhi's relationship with the former West Bengal Chief Minister. Rapid Read To this, Kalyan Banerjee replied, "Mamata Banerjee was thrown out of Congress in 1997." Amid choas of noisy protests and political sparring outside Parliament, a candid excahnge between Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and suspended TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee offered a rare lighter moment on Thursday. The TMC MP, who has been suspended by the Lok Sabha for the rest of the entire Monsoon Session, was protesting outside Makar Dwar over the merger of TMC MPs with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). He was also carrying a placard of photographs of Trinamool MPs who recently broke away from the party. Standing outside Makar Dwar, Priyanka Gandhi noticed the poster hanging around Banerjee’s neck. Clasping her hands, she pointed at the poster and asked if it carried the same images on the back. When Banerjee replied, “Yes," Priyanka smiled and urged him, “Turn and show," pointing towards the group of photographers waiting nearby.

VIDEO | Parliament Monsoon Session: TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee was seen interacting with Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra inside Parliament premises.“… even I was with the Congress once. I was the vice-president of the Youth Congress. You people forced Didi (Mamata Banerjee) to… pic.twitter.com/6jzYDy4uXd — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 30, 2026 Asked by reporters about the poster, Banerjee said it carried the “photo of 20 traitors"—a reference to the Trinamool Lok Sabha MPs who have broken ranks with Mamata Banerjee’s party and joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), extending support to the NDA. Priyanka then quipped, “You took them from Congress to TMC." Banerjee responded that those leaders had entered Parliament on Trinamool tickets, adding that Congress had little organisational presence in West Bengal. He also recalled his own Congress roots. “I was in the Congress too. I was the Vice President of the Youth Congress. You people drove Mamata Didi away in 1997. If that hadn’t happened, you wouldn’t be in this situation today," he said. Priyanka countered by recalling the late Rajiv Gandhi’s relationship with the former West Bengal Chief Minister.

“Rajiv Gandhi always respected Mamata Banerjee a lot," she said. Banerjee readily agreed, saying, “I know. Rajiv ji used to like Didi a lot. He really respected her." The cordial exchange unfolded even as Opposition MPs continued their protests outside Parliament over a range of issues including police action against students’ protest and Ram Janmabhoomi Temple alleged donation theft. At least 20 of the 28 Trinamool members in the Lok Sabha have formed a group under the leadership of MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar to move away from Mamata Banerjee’s party. The MPs joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), and expressed their allegiance to NDA. It is these rebel leaders that the Trinamool calls as “gaddar" (traitors). The list of MPs include Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Rachna Banerjee, Jagadish Chandra Barma, Partha Bhowmick, Arup Chakraborty, Adhikari Deepak Dev, Sayani Ghosh, Bapi Haldar, Abu Taher Khan, Kalipada Saren Kherwal, Asit Kumar, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, and a few others. In a significant political development earlier this week, the rebel TMC MPs participated in the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting. Senior MPs including Sudeep Bandopadhyay, Kakoli Ghosh and other NCPI members attended the meeting.