'Return to Didi, I'll Resign': Abhishek Banerjee Throws Down Gauntlet to TMC Rebels

Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has challenged leaders who left the party after its 2026 West Bengal Assembly election defeat , saying he would resign from his organisational post within an hour if they returned to Mamata Banerjee's camp.

Speaking ahead of the July 21 Martyrs' Day rally , the Diamond Harbour MP alleged that many dissidents had aligned with the BJP to avoid investigations by agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) .

"Those who left the party and are now blaming me should return to Didi. If they do, I will resign within an hour," Abhishek said, adding that those who had done nothing wrong should face investigations instead of switching political sides. Referring to repeated summons and FIRs against him, he said he had never abandoned the party, stressing that public trust no protection from central agencies is his only political shield .

Abhishek also defended his leadership, arguing that if he was expected to accept responsibility for the 2026 Assembly poll defeat , he should also receive credit for the TMC's victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections , when the party won 29 of West Bengal's 42 seats . He invited dissidents to return before the July 21 rally, assuring them they would be accommodated in the party.

His remarks triggered fresh political reactions. Senior TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee warned he would quit the party if deserters were readmitted, while BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar questioned the credibility of Abhishek's challenge.

The statement comes amid an escalating internal crisis within the TMC , with several MPs and senior leaders defecting to the BJP or joining the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel faction , which has staked claim to the party's symbol and organisational control.

Abhishek's challenge is being seen as a bid to reassert authority, rally loyalists and stabilise the party as the TMC battles one of the biggest organisational crises in its history.