On Thursday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee reiterated that the party will maintain its 'Ekla Chalo' (go it alone) stance for the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections.
While TMC remains a part of the opposition INDIA bloc at the national level, Banerjee emphasised that in Bengal, the party will fight the polls independently.
Addressing a free health camp, ‘Sebashray,’ in his Diamond Harbour constituency's Satgachhia, Banerjee reaffirmed that TMC has always contested elections on its own and had successful outcomes in past elections.
“Didi (Mamata Banerjee) has already made it clear that we will fight alone in Bengal. This is nothing new. We fought alone in 2014, 2016, 2019, and 2024. We performed well then, and we will do so again,” he declared.
Banerjee dismissed suggestions that an alliance with Congress could have stopped the BJP from securing 12 seats in Bengal during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He maintained that it is ultimately the people's support that matters, and whether fighting alone or in an alliance, the difference would have been marginal at best.
"At most, there could have been a two-to-four seat difference, nothing more," he said. When asked about potential alliances for 2026, Banerjee left the door open for discussions but reaffirmed the TMC's commitment to contesting independently.
“We are part of the INDIA bloc for a larger cause. But in Bengal, we have always fought alone and won. We will do it again,” he added, highlighting the ongoing debate within opposition parties regarding alliance strategies ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.
Mamata Banerjee, TMC's supremo and Chief Minister, had earlier declared in a legislative party meeting that TMC would return to power with a two-thirds majority in 2026 and ruled out any potential alliance with Congress. Her views were echoed by the party’s mouthpiece, Jago Bangla.
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Banerjee also commented on the recent defeat of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi, blaming the BJP for spreading "false narratives" and undermining the AAP government's effectiveness by blocking its actions, spreading misinformation, and even imprisoning ministers.
Turning attention back to Bengal, Abhishek Banerjee accused the Centre of deliberately withholding funds intended for the state and then blaming the TMC government for financial mismanagement.
“They did the same in Bengal. They claimed to have sent funds while we were accused of withholding them. We reached out to 50 lakh people, explained the truth, and demanded a white paper from the Centre, which they failed to produce,” he stated.
Banerjee also ridiculed BJP’s promises related to the 'Lakshmir Bhandar' scheme, which offers financial assistance to women in the state. He noted that the BJP, which once sought to scrap the scheme, was now promising an increase in the stipend amount. “This is the victory of the ‘Maa-Mati-Manush’ ideology,” Banerjee quipped.
Referring to the Union Budget, Banerjee was critical of what he termed as the “anti-Bengal” nature of the proposals. “Nirmala Sitharaman's budget is designed to stall Bengal's progress.
Bihar has been showered with allocations, while Bengal has been sidelined. It's a classic case of political discrimination. They offer ‘laddoos’ if you vote for them and neglect you if you don’t,” he claimed.
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Banerjee also lashed out at the Centre’s tax relief measures, accusing the government of offering partial relief while imposing high taxes, especially through GST.
“They talk about tax relief up to Rs 12 lakh, but GST is imposed on almost everything except water. Whatever they give with one hand, they take away with the other,” he said.
The TMC leader also condemned the government's handling of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, claiming that BJP was stifling opposition voices. He referenced allegations that dissenting notes from opposition MPs had been removed from the parliamentary committee report on the bill. "This is what they do. They silence opposition voices. But people are watching," Banerjee remarked.
The joint committee report on the Waqf Bill was recently tabled in the Rajya Sabha, with opposition MPs, including Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, accusing the government of deleting dissenting notes from the report. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, however, denied these charges.
Abhishek Banerjee’s statements reflect the growing tensions between the TMC and BJP, with the 2026 Bengal assembly elections looming as a pivotal moment in the state’s political landscape.
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