After a decisive defeat in the 2026 West Bengal elections, Mamata Banerjee publicly called for unity. She called on the Left, the Ultra-Left and all national parties to oppose the BJP. The call came on the evening of Rabindra Jayanti from her residence in Kalighat.
The BJP won 207 seats in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The Trinamool Congress secured just 80 seats out of 293 declared results. One electoral district was undergoing re-election at the time of the announcement.
Congress won two seats, CPI(M) one, ISF one and AJUP two. BJP secured 45.84% of the total vote share. Trinamool got 40.80% while CPI(M) got 4.45% and Congress got 2.97%.
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Earlier, new BJP Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in at the Brigade Parade Ground. Didi addressed her Rabindra Jayanti gathering at Kalighat on the same day. She did not participate in the swearing-in ceremony.
Mamata Banerjee’s challenge
Standing in front of Rabindranath Tagore’s portrait, Mamata Banerjee made a direct appeal. She said, “Before Rabindranath, I challenge everyone.”
She added, “This is no time to think about who I am or who you are.”
“I have no ego to reject left parties, be it left or ultra-left, all are welcome. All national parties are welcome to unite against BJP. We will fight at the Centre. Let us unite in the state as well,” she said.
Her central message was simple: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. She declared the BJP as the primary political enemy. Between 16:00 and 18:00 she invited all parties willing to talk to visit her office.
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Mamata Banerjee has leveled several serious allegations against the new BJP government. She alleged that foreigners and “fools” were being brought to West Bengal to harass people. She claimed that the riots were happening outside her own residence and outside Abhishek Banerjee’s home.
She said people were banging on doors and demanding that family members come out. She also claimed that teachers were prevented from entering the house.
Didi accused the BJP of unleashing “unchecked and unrestrained terror” against Trinamool workers. She said the hooliganism was taking place outside many homes while the police remained silent.
The former CM also alleged that decorators were warned not to provide platforms or pandals for Rabindra Jayanti events. She alleged that permission was denied for Tagore tribute programs at three places, including Kalighat Crossing.
Didi further claimed that its internet services were disconnected without prior notice. She said, “I don’t want their mercy. I’m not looking for anybody’s pity.”
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Trinamool announced the creation of a relief fund for workers allegedly affected by post-election violence. Legal matters related to the fund will reportedly be handled by Kalyan Banerjee. Singer and politician Indranil Sen could not attend due to the unrest in his area.
Banerjee also questioned the legitimacy of the election result. She said, “We actually won the fight. We were forced to lose.”
She said she has already been contacted by several national opposition leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Uddhav Thackeray, Tejashwi Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal.
CPI(M) Responds
CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim responded by quoting Tagore. “When life dries up, come with a stream of compassion,” Anandabazar quoted Patrika as launching a sarcastic attack on Banerjee.
