Will rebuild the party… have done earlier, will do it again: Mamata Banerjee

Claiming that the rebel TMC camp was being controlled by the ruling, Mamata said, “Those who are on the BJP’s lap have a lot of baggage. Those who are going to the (rebel) camp, which is controlled by the BJP, have a lot of luggage and baggage to protect…” As one after another, Mamata Banerjee’s closest aides abandoned her – the latest being Madan Mitra – the Trinamool Congress chief on Wednesday asserted that she would rebuild the party as she did in 2004. Hours after Madan Mitra joined the rebel camp of the TMC and targeted Mamata’s nephew and party’s all-India general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, the TMC supremo in a Facebook Live said, “In 2004, I was alone (the party had only one MP), and I rebuilt the party. I can do it now, too… I will rebuild the party. We have lakhs of party workers and youths who are with us. They will be our future leaders. I will act as an umbrella over them. I am not dying. I will live to fight on.”Claiming that the rebel TMC camp was being controlled by the ruling, Mamata said, “Those who are on the BJP’s lap have a lot of baggage. Those who are going to the (rebel) camp, which is controlled by the BJP, have a lot of luggage and baggage to protect…” She alleged that the BJP was using investigative agencies and police to engineer defections, and said that many leaders had crossed over out of fear. “We still have 18 MPs in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Those Parliamentarians who have joined the ‘setting company’ have done so because they are afraid of the police,” she said. The former chief minister said that she was with Sonam Wangchuk, who is on hungerstrike in New Delhi against the NEET paper leak, and demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. “I spoke with him (Wangchuk) and enquired about his health. I had gone on a hungerstrike for 26 days protesting against forcible land acquisition (by the then Left Front government in Singur). As a result, we could give the land back to the farmers,” she said, and urged party workers to attend the July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally in Kolkata, which for the first time will be observed by her party near Birla Planetarium on the orders of the Calcutta High Court. “For the past 40 years, we have observed July 21 Martyrs Day. They did not allow us to hold the rally in the Esplanade this time. However, I am grateful to the Calcutta High Court for allowing us to organise it near Birla Planetarium. I call everyone to be present there. However, I am telling our workers not to mistakenly go to other places (Mayo Road, where the rebel TMC will be holding a parallel programme). If police push you there, return to our venue,” Mamata added. © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd Ravik Bhattacharya is a highly experienced and award-winning journalist currently serving as the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, Ravik possesses deep expertise across a wide range of critical subjects and geographical areas. Experience & Authority Current Role: Chief of Bureau, The Indian Express, Kolkata. Expertise: Extensive reporting across West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and the Andaman Nicobar Islands. Ravik specializes in politics, crime, major incidents and issues, and investigative stories, demonstrating a robust command of complex and sensitive subjects. Experience: His long and distinguished career includes key reporting roles at several prestigious publications, including The Asian Age, The Statesman, The Telegraph, and The Hindustan Times. Ravik's current role marks his second stint with The Indian Express, having previously served as a Principal Correspondent in the Kolkata bureau from 2005 to 2010. Major Award: Ravik's authority and quality of work are substantiated by his winning of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for Political Reporting. Education: His strong academic foundation includes a Bachelor's de