Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asks Mamata Banerjee to rejoin Congress; says party ready to accept her leadership in Bengal
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has publicly invited Mamata Banerjee to merge her Trinamool Congress party back into the Congress. This follows a significant electoral defeat and internal rebellion within the TMC after the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
Why it matters
The potential merger could reshape the political landscape of West Bengal and strengthen the INDIA opposition alliance against the BJP.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday (October 1, 2026) made a direct pitch to Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee to rejoin his party along with her remaining MLAs and MPs, saying the Congress is prepared to accept her leadership in West Bengal .
Mr. Chowdhury's appeal came at a time when the TMC is battling what may be its deepest organisational crisis since its formation, with the party's legislative and Parliamentary wings witnessing separate rebellions after its defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"There is no need for any separate entity at this moment. Not much is left of the TMC after its defeat in the Assembly elections," said Mr. Chowdhury, a former State Congress president, referring to the split in the party. Ms. Banerjee left the Congress and formed the Trinamool Congress nearly three decades ago.
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