OPINION | Why Mamata Banerjee Needs The INDIA Bloc More Than It Needs Her

Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) stands at a precipice. After 15 years in power, the party suffered a crushing defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) securing around 207 seats to the TMC’s approximately 80. The once-dominant regional force is unravelling from within. Roughly 60 of the TMC’s 80 MLAs have backed rebel legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, defying Mamata’s choice and forcing the Speaker to recognise the faction. Simultaneously, nearly 20 of the party’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs, led by figures like Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, have signalled intent to form a separate bloc supporting the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), crossing the threshold for protection under anti-defection provisions. 

This internal implosion comes amid long-simmering discontent over dynastic tendencies, particularly the perceived dominance of Mamata’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, and governance failures that alienated even core supporters. In this moment of existential crisis, Mamata Banerjee attended the INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi on June 8, 2026, her first in-person participation after months of distance. The embrace with Sonia Gandhi captured in images symbolises more than nostalgia; it reflects raw political compulsion.

The TMC, which rose by splintering from the Congress in 1998 and later poaching its leaders and workers, now confronts the same centrifugal forces it once unleashed. Without strategic support from the opposition INDIA alliance–especially the Congress–Mamata’s ability to retain relevance, protect her remaining cadre, and contest future battles appears severely diminished. Her party’s legacy of “Ma, Mati, Manush” risks fading into irrelevance unless she leverages national opposition platforms for survival. 

This turnaround highlights the cyclical nature of Indian politics, where yesterday’s disruptors become today’s supplicants. Mamata’s attendance underscores that in Bengal’s fractured landscape, isolation is no longer viable.

Political Irony: The Poacher Turned Game

Mamata Banerjee built the TMC by mastering the art of political poaching. In 2011, she ended three decades of Left Front rule by attracting disgruntled Congress leaders and local workers. Alliances and subsequent absorptions followed. Leaders like Manas Ranjan Bhunia, a prominent Congress figure, joined the TMC ecosystem, with cases against defectors often sidelined. Post-2016, TMC systematically eroded opposition structures at panchayat and municipal levels, drawing in leaders from Congress, Left, and even smaller outfits through inducements and pressure. 

Today, the same medicine is being administered. Rebel MLAs and MPs cite authoritarianism, neglect of grassroots workers, and over-centralisation around family. Ritabrata Banerjee’s emergence as a focal point of rebellion reflects broader resentment. The irony is stark: a party born from anti-Congress momentum now seeks its embrace. Historical alliances, such as TMC’s participation in UPA-II, gave way to rivalry after 2011, with Mamata criticising Congress high-handedness. 

Yet survival demands pragmatism. The NDA-supporting MPs weaken TMC’s national footprint, while the assembly revolt strips Mamata of legislative control. In this vacuum, INDIA offers a platform to project opposition credentials nationally and shield against further defections. 

Without it, the TMC risks haemorrhaging more talent to the BJP, which has successfully positioned itself as the development alternative post-2026 victory. 

This reversal exposes the fragility of personality-driven regional parties. Mamata’s once-unassailable aura has been dented by electoral rejection and internal revolt, forcing reliance on the very ecosystem she distanced herself from.

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Mamata’s Sudden Desperation and the INDIA Pivot

Mamata’s decision to personally attend the June 8 INDIA meeting marks a sharp departure from her recent aloofness. Earlier, she often skipped such gatherings, sending proxies amid tensions with state Congress leaders like Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who remained vocal critics. Her party’s inconsistent commitment — such as abstaining in the Vice-Presidential election that helped Jagdeep Dhankhar (a former Bengal Governor with whom she clashed) — further strained ties. 

The desperation stems from arithmetic and ground realities. The Muslim vote, traditionally a TMC bulwark (over 30% in key pockets), is fragmenting. In Muslim-majority areas like Malda and Murshidabad, Congress and Left retain organisational roots. Rebel TMC factions and smaller players like ISF have siphoned support, while Congress’s independent contest in 2026 highlighted its residual influence. A potential Congress-Left understanding for 2029 Lok Sabha polls could further erode TMC’s minority consolidation. Mamata needs Congress high command intervention to restrain state units and prevent wholesale shifts. 

Pictures of her with Sonia Gandhi evoke past proximity rooted in Rajiv Gandhi-era associations. Rahul Gandhi’s rising profile had cooled relations, but crisis has revived outreach. INDIA provides Mamata a forum to critique BJP governance nationally — on issues like NEET leaks or central schemes — while rebuilding Bengal relevance. Loyalty to the bloc was never absolute, but compulsion now dictates deeper engagement. This pivot is less ideological convergence than tactical necessity to arrest collapse.

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Congress Support: The Key to Stemming Muslim Vote Erosion and Local Recovery

Congress support is pivotal in Bengal’s demography-driven politics. TMC’s defeat has accelerated shifts among traditional voters, including Muslims wary of BJP but disillusioned with TMC’s incumbency baggage. Fragmentation benefits Congress in pockets where it maintains cadre, such as Malda-Murshidabad. Left parties remain hostile to TMC due to historical animosity, making Congress the pragmatic bridge. 

An INDIA-backed understanding could stabilise TMC’s minority outreach. Local Congress units, if reined in by high command, might avoid aggressive poaching. Past TMC successes in chipping away Congress bases could reverse without such deterrence. For Mamata, this alliance prevents total isolation, allowing focus on rebuilding rather than multi-front defence. It also counters BJP’s post-victory consolidation, where development promises and central schemes lure defectors.

The Lok Sabha Lifeline: Securing Relevance Through Parliamentary Presence

With state power lost and assembly control contested, Mamata’s path to relevance lies in national visibility. Speculation around constituencies like Basirhat — where a vacancy exists following the sitting MP’s demise — points to potential seat-sharing pacts. In exchange for Congress support in select seats (possibly Nandigram or others), TMC could gain backing for Mamata or a proxy in a winnable Lok Sabha berth. This would grant parliamentary immunity, platform for issue-raising, and symbolic authority to rally remaining loyalists. 

Without public office, retaining cadre loyalty amid defections becomes untenable. A Lok Sabha presence allows Mamata to project as a national opposition voice, influencing Bengal discourse indirectly. INDIA’s coordination on Parliament strategy offers the vehicle. At 71, with the party fracturing, this lifeline could preserve her legacy for a potential comeback, echoing how other leaders have used national roles post-state setbacks.

(Sayantan Ghosh is the author of two books, Battleground Bengal and The Aam Aadmi Party)

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