Is a TMC-Congress Merger on the Horizon? Party Leaders Say No!

TMC Leaders Refute Merger Speculations

New Delhi: Amid swirling rumors regarding a potential merger between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress, officials from the party led by Mamata Banerjee firmly denied any such intentions on Wednesday.

A senior TMC figure labeled the speculation as unfounded, stating, "We have no such information. This is baseless."

The chatter about a merger intensified following a meeting between TMC leader Mamata Banerjee and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday, just a day after Congress shared a photo of the two leaders embracing at the INDIA bloc gathering.

While specifics of their discussion remain undisclosed, insiders indicated that Banerjee emphasized the importance of opposition unity, urging the INDIA bloc to collaborate effectively against the BJP on various public matters.

On Wednesday, TMC's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee held a meeting with Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

This meeting is perceived as part of the ongoing dialogue between Congress and TMC, following discussions at the recent INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi.

Details from this meeting are still pending, but it comes at a time when TMC is grappling with internal dissent after its recent loss in the West Bengal Assembly elections.

During the INDIA bloc meeting on Monday, opposition leaders stressed the necessity for enhanced coordination and solidarity among alliance members to effectively challenge the BJP.

Banerjee urged coalition partners to put aside their differences and unite on public issues.

Having founded the TMC in 1998 after departing from Congress, Banerjee's party has since emerged as the leading political force in West Bengal, ending the Left Front's 34-year dominance in 2011.

However, challenges have escalated for the TMC following its electoral defeat last month, leading to a rebellion within the party's legislative wing. Recently, over two-thirds of the party's MLAs—58 out of 80—defected from the official TMC legislature party, gaining recognition as the principal opposition bloc in the Assembly under expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee.

The crisis has now reached Delhi, with rebel MPs, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, claiming support from more than 20 Lok Sabha MPs who are seeking to separate from the party.