Mamata Banerjee urges Trinamool candidates to rebuild after 2026 loss in West Bengal

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee urged party candidates to rebuild the organization after the party’s defeat in West Bengal’s 2026 assembly election, telling those considering leaving that they were free to do so. Speaking at a meeting at her Kalighat residence in Kolkata on Friday, Banerjee, along with senior leaders including national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, said the party would recover despite a major loss at the polls.

The Trinamool Congress lost power in the state after three consecutive terms in government. The party won 80 seats in the 294-member assembly, following contests on 291 seats, with three Darjeeling hill seats reserved for its ally Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha led by Anit Thapa. Banerjee also suffered defeat, losing her Bhabanipur seat, which had long been considered one of her strongest political bases. Among those who lost were ministers and other senior leaders, according to multiple accounts of the election outcome.

At the Kalighat meeting, Banerjee delivered a message aimed at both morale and internal discipline. She told party members, Those who are leaving for other parties, let them go, and said she would rebuild the party...