TMC suffocated under Abhishek Banerjee: Madan Mitra after joining rebel camp

Published 15 July 2026 · politics

Veteran Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and three-time MLA Madan Mitra on Wednesday mounted a blistering attack on party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee after crossing over

Veteran Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and three-time MLA Madan Mitra on Wednesday mounted a blistering attack on party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee after crossing over to the rebel faction, accusing him of creating a "suffocating" atmosphere within the party and driving away leaders, workers and supporters. Mitra joining the rebel camp led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee marks one of the biggest setbacks for Mamata Banerjee since the TMC split that followed the party's defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Read Full Story Though the veteran leader insisted he remained in the TMC, he resigned from all national and state organisational committees functioning under the Mamata Banerjee-led faction and stepped down as the party's chief whip in the Assembly. Speaking exclusively to India Today TV after joining the rebel camp, Mitra said the atmosphere within the party had become "suffocating" and directly blamed Abhishek Banerjee for creating conditions that were driving away leaders and workers. "Look. Mamata Banerjee's leadership was very necessary. Or rather, it was absolutely necessary. But we are all alive. We are aware, we move. All the air in Mamata Banerjee's party was stopped. It was suffocated. People don't trust anyone and talk openly. Everyone is silent and whispering. It felt like they were part of some big conspiracy. But it's nothing like that. It's all conspiracy of Abhishek Banerjee," Mitra said. The veteran leader, who has been associated with Mamata Banerjee since the early years of her political journey and remained one of the party's most recognisable faces, said the departure of senior and grassroots leaders from the organisation had a common cause.

"The truth is, the good workers in Mamata Banerjee's party who are acceptable to the people are slowly leaving. The question is why are they leaving? There is only one reason, and that is Abhishek Banerjee," he said. Mitra expressed disappointment over Abhishek Banerjee's role within the party and criticised what he described as the priorities of the leadership. "Hey, this is a man. Oh, this is a blunder, Abhishek Banerjee. Whatever his achievements are, from the Diamond Harbour model to Sevashray, people can't even talk about it. They can't show their faces. And then there's just the cost of planes, helicopters. If that money had been used to distribute relief packets to people in villages, and if workers had been told 'Go and fight', the results would have been much better," he said. Continuing the attack, the Kamarhati MLA further alleged that fear had spread among leaders and workers after Abhishek Banerjee's rise in the organisation. "But everyone lived in fear, of sitting above or below, on the right or on the left. This happened because of Abhishek. And then they started pushing and shoving each other. People were very upset and began to protest," Mitra said. According to him, the political culture within the party changed after Abhishek Banerjee emerged as a dominant figure. "At that time, Abhishek was not there. And after Abhishek came, Mamata Banerjee developed a mindset that no one else was needed. That she would do everything herself," he said. Mitra also linked the party's organisational troubles and the BJP's growing strength to what he described as failures associated with Abhishek Banerjee's leadership.