Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra, one of the few party leaders to openly back former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee amid a rebellion by MPs and MLAs, has pushed back against what she called
selective “juicy bits” from her interviews being used to misquote her and “grab eyeballs”.
In a recent BBC interview, Moitra spoke about the internal churn in the TMC and addressed questions on the ongoing dissent within the party. She said she respects Suvendu Adhikari, while reiterating her strong support for Mamata Banerjee.
My interview with @bbcbangla – please @IndiaToday do get a good translator so you don’t mischievously pick & choose “juicy bits” to grab eyeballs like with the hindi one ! pic.twitter.com/ZxtNLdN5wI
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) June 24, 2026
On the issue of rebel MPs and MLAs citing Abhishek Banerjee as the central concern, Moitra referred to Suvendu Adhikari’s exit from the party and said she respects his political clarity in leaving.
“Suvendu Adhikari’s problem was essentially the same. Mamata Banerjee had made Abhishek Banerjee the number two in the party. Suvendu understood that as long as Abhishek Banerjee was there, control of the party was never going to come to him,” Mahua Moitra said in the BBC Hindi and Bangla interviews, which she later indicated through a post on X were taken out of context in reports that claimed her statements praising the CM have “sparked buzz”.
“He [Suvendu Adhikari] felt, ‘It is my right, my entitlement. I am a party man.’ But he also understood that this was not going to happen as long as Abhishek was around. So he decided to join the BJP. He made that position very clear. And there is merit to that; there is something to respect in that approach. He went away and fought his political battle for five years,” Moitra said, adding that questions should be asked about why rebels remained silent while the party was winning in West Bengal.
“Let me say this clearly. Every one of those people who are making these allegations today contested elections just a month or a month-and-a-half ago. They all fought on the Trinamool Congress symbol. Abhishek Banerjee was not made the party’s national general secretary today; he held the same position in 2021 as well. The party won the 2021 election under his leadership,” she said.
She further added that Suvendu Adhikari also worked under the same leadership before leaving the party. “So all these leaders who are rebelling today, why did they not say then that they disagreed with Abhishek’s style of functioning or that the party had become disconnected from the people? Why did they not refuse to contest on the party symbol and instead join another party? They did not say any of that then. At that time, they wanted tickets, positions and opportunities. That is why I call out their hypocrisy,” she added.
Moitra said there has always been space within the party for internal discussion and disagreement, including with Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee.
“There was always room within the party to discuss disagreements with Mamata Banerjee or Abhishek Banerjee. There was room for dissent. I myself fought the 2024 election without involving I-PAC,” she said, referring to concerns raised by rebel leaders.
She added, “And if someone does not like the way things are being run, they are free to leave. But you cannot win an election using Mamata Banerjee’s and Abhishek Banerjee’s faces and popularity, and then turn around and attack them.”
Recalling her personal political relationships, Moitra said she remains an emotional politician and still values her bonds within the party, naming Saayoni Ghosh among those she was closest to.
“Maybe in a year, when I am older and more experienced, nothing will surprise me anymore. But right now, some things still do surprise me. I am an emotional person. Rakesh is not such an emotional politician. The old-school politicians used to say that people come and go. But I am still a very emotional politician,” she said.
“For me, emotional ties matter. I consider the party a family. I still do. And when you do politics with someone 24/7, personal bonds are formed,” she added.
She also recalled her past interactions with Suvendu Adhikari, saying the relationship remained personal even after political differences emerged.
“He was a very good friend of mine and, when we were at the same party, he supported me a great deal. When I first contested from Karimpur, nobody was coming to campaign for me. Hardly anyone attended rallies. One of my first rallies was addressed by Suvendu. I still have all the photographs. It was just Suvendu and me sitting there. I needed flags and campaign material; Suvendu helped me,” Moitra said.
“In 2014, there was a time when I thought I might get a Lok Sabha ticket, but I did not. I cried the entire night. Suvendu told me, ‘Don’t cry, sister. We are with you.’”
“These are emotional connections. Just because someone leaves does not mean those memories disappear. We may not speak now because we are in different political parties, but personal and emotional relationships are not something you simply forget,” she said.
Moitra further spoke about Saayoni Ghosh, saying she was among the closest to her and deserved the opportunities she received.
“And I truly believe that whatever she received from the party, she received because she deserved it. I am not saying she was undeserving. She was capable and deserving, and that is precisely why she was given opportunities,” she said.
“Look at her journey. She joined the party in February 2021. By March or April, the party gave her a ticket. She fought extremely well in that constituency and lost by only about 4,000 votes. So if she has now chosen to leave, the explanation for that decision should come from her, not from me,” Moitra added.
The remarks come at a time of heightened political activity within the Trinamool Congress. Mamata Banerjee is already engaged in a battle for control of the party against a rebel group of MLAs led by Ritabrata Banerjee. Meanwhile, in Parliament, the TMC has suffered a major setback after 20 Lok Sabha MPs merged with the little-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) to support the ruling BJP.
