Madan Mitra Joins TMC Rebel Camp, Targets Abhishek, Mamata Stands Firm

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) plunged deeper into turmoil on Wednesday after senior party leader and MLA Madan Mitra crossed over to the rebel camp led by Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee , dealing another major blow to Mamata Banerjee's faction amid an escalating post-election crisis.

Despite switching camps, Mitra insisted that he had not left the Trinamool Congress . The veteran leader announced his resignation from all national and state organisational committees under the Mamata Banerjee-led faction, besides stepping down as the party's chief whip in the West Bengal Assembly . However, he said he would continue to serve as a TMC MLA .

Using one of his trademark metaphors, Mitra remarked, "I have only changed my room, not my house," indicating that while he had distanced himself from Mamata Banerjee's organisational leadership, he still considered himself part of the party.

A founding-generation leader and one of Mamata Banerjee's longest-serving political associates, Mitra launched a sharp attack on Abhishek Banerjee , accusing the TMC national general secretary of centralising power and transforming the party into a personality-driven organisation. He claimed that the voice of grassroots workers was being ignored and alleged that internal democracy had weakened under Abhishek's growing influence.

Mitra revealed that he had informed Mamata Banerjee about his decision through a WhatsApp message before switching camps. While thanking her for years of political support, he said the party now had to choose between people-centric politics and dynasty politics . He also claimed that he had earlier suggested Abhishek Banerjee should step aside for six months following the Assembly election defeat, but the proposal was rejected.

Rejecting speculation that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons issued to his wife and two sons had influenced his decision, Mitra maintained that his differences with Abhishek's style of functioning were the real reason behind his move.

Responding to the development, Mamata Banerjee strongly defended her nephew, saying Abhishek had nothing to do with Mitra's decision. She alleged that the ED summons received by Mitra's family a day earlier had indicated he might switch camps and accused central agencies of being used to engineer political defections.

The rebellion gathered further momentum as former Birbhum strongman Anubrata Mondal , who recently joined the rebel camp, also blamed Abhishek Banerjee for his political troubles and claimed he had repeatedly advised Mamata Banerjee to remove her nephew from the party leadership after the Assembly election defeat.

Mitra's crossover is being viewed as one of the most significant developments in the ongoing TMC power struggle , further strengthening the rebels' challenge to Abhishek Banerjee's leadership and deepening uncertainty over the party's future.