TMC top sources on Wednesday rejected reports of possible merger with the Congress, saying the party does not have nay such information. The TMC further added that no proposal regarding a merger was discussed at any stage. Instead, the focus was on ensuring that constituent parties of the opposition alliance work together more effectively against the BJP and maintain unity despite differences at the state level.
The clarification from the TMC comes comes as the party battles crisis within its parliamentary ranks. On Wednesday, another party leader, Sushmita Dev, resigned as Rajya Sabha MP, following Sukhendu Roy's resignation on Monday.
Earlier there were reports that Sonia Gandhi offered Mamata Banerjee the post of Congress National Vice President and Abhishek Banerjee the role of General Secretary as part of talks over a possible Congress–TMC merger. However, the TMC sources have denied such reports.
Mamata Banerjee meets Sonia Gandhi in Delhi
Just a day after an opposition INDIA bloc meeting stressed unity and better coordination among the alliance partners, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday met Congress leader Sonia Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence. INDIA bloc united to strongly work together, Mamata Banerjee told Sonia Gandhi during their meeting.
Sources told PTI that the two leaders are learnt to have discussed the strategy between the two parties going forward after the opposition bloc meeting, and following an exodus of Trinamool members after the party's defeat to the BJP in the recent Bengal polls.
Abhishek Banerjee meets Rahul Gandhi amid TMC crisis
Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee held a meeting amid efforts by the opposition INDIA bloc to strengthen coordination and maintain unity. The meeting at 10 Janpath took place a day after Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee met former Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her residence and discussed ways to further consolidate the opposition alliance.
The meeting between Gandhi and Abhishek Banerjee is being seen as part of the ongoing engagement between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress following discussions at the INDIA bloc meeting held in Delhi earlier this week.
While details of the meeting were not immediately available, it comes at a time when the Trinamool Congress is faced with a rebellion within its ranks following its defeat in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections. At the INDIA bloc meeting on Monday, opposition leaders emphasised the need for greater coordination and unity among alliance partners in taking on the BJP.
Sushmita Dev resigns from TMC and Rajya Sabha
Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev on Wednesday resigned from the party and the Rajya Sabha, dealing a fresh blow to the Mamata Banerjee-led party which is facing an internal storm after its defeat in the West Bengal assembly polls. Dev's resignation as MP has been accepted by Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan.
"Sushmita Dev, an elected member of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), representing the state of West Bengal, resigned her seat in the Rajya Sabha and her resignation has been accepted by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, with effect from June 10, 2026," a notification from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said.
Sources said Dev, who earlier quit the Congress 2021 to join the TMC, is likely to join the BJP as she met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma after tendering her resignation. While she declined to comment on TMC chief Mamata Banerjee or her future political plans, Dev said, "It's my individual decision, what kind of politics I want to do and who should be my leader.
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