Mamata warns dissident TMC leaders: 'Stay with party or join BJP'

Business To Business, Kolkata,  08^th July, 2026:   Former West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on dissident leaders within the party, asking them to either remain loyal to the TMC or openly join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) instead of "staying in the middle of the river."
In a video message, Banerjee accused rebel TMC Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and Members of Parliament (MPs) of acting at the behest of the BJP. She alleged that their "betrayal" had encouraged the ruling party to intensify attacks on Trinamool Congress workers across the state.
Banerjee urged the dissident leaders to take a clear political stand rather than, in her words, attempting to maintain ties with both sides.
Her remarks came amid heightened political tensions in West Bengal following clashes between BJP workers and members of the Trinamool Youth Congress (TMYC) during a protest march organised by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction over the alleged rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in Baruipur.
The confrontation in Kolkata led to police intervention, with personnel resorting to a baton charge to disperse the rival groups and restore order.
The latest exchange underscores the deepening political divide within the TMC as well as the continuing rivalry between the party and the BJP, with both sides trading allegations over political violence, law and order, and the handling of recent incidents in the state.