Amid growing signs of internal unrest within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), party national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee has responded to sharp criticism from senior leader Kalyan Banerjee, striking a conciliatory tone and refusing to escalate the public confrontation. Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, Abhishek said he holds no resentment against Kalyan Banerjee despite the latter's recent remarks targeting his leadership style and role within the party. His response comes a day after Kalyan Banerjee openly accused him of arrogance and held him responsible for the party's current crisis.
What did Abhishek Banerjee say?
Reacting to the criticism, Abhishek emphasised that Kalyan Banerjee is a senior leader who has known him since his childhood and therefore has every right to express his views. "Those in the top leadership who are speaking against me have every right to discuss their concerns within the party. Kalyan Banerjee has the right to speak about me and even say a few harsh words if he feels so. He has seen me since I was a child. I have not taken these comments personally. There may have been an incident that upset him and he expressed his feelings. I hold no anger against him. I respected him earlier and I will continue to respect him in the future," Abhishek said.
Kalyan Banerjee's strong attack
The controversy erupted after Kalyan Banerjee launched an unusually direct attack on Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday (June 11). The senior TMC leader alleged that Abhishek had become "very arrogant" and had failed to show respect towards senior leaders within the organisation.
Holding him responsible for the party's recent electoral setbacks and ongoing internal rift, the senior TMC leader issued an ultimatum to party chief Mamata Banerjee. He said the party could either choose Abhishek Banerjee or him, adding that he would not remain in the organisation if it could not function without Abhishek's leadership.
"I am with Mamata Banerjee, but Didi will have to decide if she is with Abhishek or the TMC. Mamata di has to decide first. If she cannot run the party without Abhishek, then I will not be there," Kalyan Banerjee said.
Abhishek targets BJP, reaffirms party resolve
During the interaction with the media, Abhishek Banerjee also launched a strong attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and accused the party of attempting to weaken the TMC through investigative agencies and political manoeuvring. "We will not retreat even an inch in this fight... You cannot force us to bow down... We are not afraid of agencies... ED, CBI and CID cannot overpower us,,. TMC cannot be weakened by buying MLAs and MPs... You cannot break this party in this manner. You had promised to provide Annapurna Bhandar, but now the situation has changed. First ask questions of yourselves," he said.
Suvendu Adhikari to meet rebel TMC MPs
It is worth mentioning here that West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is scheduled to reach the national capital on Sunday (June 14) to hold high-level discussions ahead of the rebel TMC Members of Parliament meeting. Speaking to the media, rebel TMC MP Jagdish Basunia stated that "West Bengal CM will meet the rebel TMC MPs in Delhi, ahead of the rebel TMC MPs' meeting with the Lok Sabha Speaker." This development comes amid growing internal tensions within the TMC following the party's underwhelming performance in the recent 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, which has reportedly led to a widening rift between the party veterans and the central leadership headed by Mamata Banerjee.
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