Leave with all your belongings, Mamata tells deserters

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement on July 16, 2026 came on the day Rajya Sabha MP Koel Mallick resigned and met Union Minister and BJP leader Bhupendra Yadav. | Photo credit: ANI

Trinamool Congress president and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday (July 16, 2026) said those facing pressure from central agencies should leave with “all their possessions” by July 21 as back-to-back leaders left her.

“I request those who are facing various pressures from ED, CBI or BJP to leave by July 21. Leave with all your belongings,” the Trinamool president said live on social media.

The remarks came on a day Rajya Sabha MP Koel Mallick resigned and met Union minister and BJP leader Bhupendra Yadav. On Wednesday, Ms. Banerjee’s longtime aide Madan Mitra switched sides and joined the Trinamool faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee.

Ms Banerjee, facing one of the biggest challenges of her political life, said those who stay with her will be her “greatest strength”. “They will build the future. If we could start again in 1997 (when she left Congress to form Trinamool), we can certainly do it again in 2026,” she said.

“BJP leaders say they will erase our name and symbol. But many political parties have changed their names and symbols over time, while their identity has remained. You can change a name by force of power, but you cannot erase an ideology or direction,” she added.

Ms. Banerjee, who urged her supporters to join the Martyrs’ Day on July 21, alleged that the administration and the police were pressuring people to stay away from the event. “I know the police are telling people not to come and threatening to stop them. I appeal to the administration to remain neutral,” she said.

‘Things Will Change’

She said the rebels were doing everything with “support from Delhi”. “Remember, life is long. If things start shaking in Delhi, the situation will also change,” she said, adding that it doesn’t matter how many MPs are bought.

The Trinamool leader spoke about a number of issues, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike, and asked why the government was not holding discussions with him. Ms. Banerjee called and spoke to an activist who is demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dhamendra Pradhan.

“Even after Sonam’s prolonged hunger strike, no government official met him. When I fasted for 26 days, no one from the government came to talk to me either. After 20 days, Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi, Mahasweta Devi, Kabir Suman, Vice President Singh and several other leaders visited me,” she said.

Another switch

During the day, there were reports that another Trinamool leader, former Rajarhat-Newtown MLA Tapas Chatterjee, is also set to leave Ms Banerjee and join the Ritabrata camp. The faction has the support of more than 65 out of 80 MLAs. Ms Banerjee described it as the BJP’s “setting-party”.

Published – 16 Jul 2026 22:43 IST