Mamata Banerjee to join CJP NEET protest in Delhi on July 27, names Saugata Roy deputy leader
Synopsis
Mamata Banerjee's July 27 Delhi trip to join the CJP's NEET protest comes as Trinamool Congress reels from losing 20 Lok Sabha members to a rival party, shrinking its parliamentary presence to just eight seats. Her appointment of Saugata Roy as deputy leader and call for INDIA bloc unity signal a determined effort to stay relevant on the national stage despite a bruising electoral defeat.
Key Takeaways
Mamata Banerjee will travel to New Delhi on 27 July to join the CJP -led protest against the NEET exam paper leak at Jantar Mantar .
Saugata Roy , four-term MP from Dum Dum constituency, has been named TMC's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha.
Roy replaces Satabdi Roy , who is among 20 former TMC MPs who defected to the Tripura-based Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) .
The defections have reduced Trinamool Congress's Lok Sabha strength to just eight seats .
Banerjee had pledged to join the protest at the party's Martyrs' Day rally on 21 July in Kolkata.
Whether her Delhi visit will include meetings with Congress and other INDIA bloc leaders remains unconfirmed.
All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to travel to New Delhi on 27 July to join the agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) against the NEET exam paper leak. The visit, confirmed on 24 July from Kolkata, follows her public pledge of solidarity at the party's Martyrs' Day rally three days earlier.
Saugata Roy Named TMC's Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha
Alongside the Delhi announcement, Banerjee named Saugata Roy — a four-term Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member representing the Dum Dum constituency in North 24 Parganas district — as the party's deputy leader in the lower house. Roy steps into the role vacated by Satabdi Roy, an actress-turned-politician and four-time MP from Birbhum constituency, who is among the 20 former TMC parliamentarians who recently defected to the Tripura-based Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) following the party's landslide defeat in the recently concluded West Bengal assembly elections.
TMC's Lok Sabha Strength Shrinks to Eight
The mass exit of 20 Lok Sabha members to the NCPI has reduced Trinamool Congress's current parliamentary strength to just eight seats in the Lok Sabha — a dramatic contraction for a party that once commanded a formidable bloc in the lower house. The party's Lok Sabha contingent is currently led by Banerjee's nephew, a three-term MP from the Diamond Harbour constituency in South 24 Parganas district.
What Banerjee Said at the Martyrs' Day Rally
Addressing the Trinamool Congress Martyrs' Day rally in Kolkata on 21 July, Banerjee expressed unequivocal solidarity with the CJP-led movement in New Delhi and pledged to join the protest in person. She also called upon all opposition parties to unite under the INDIA (Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance) bloc and jointly mount nationwide agitations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Unanswered Questions Around the Delhi Visit
The precise scope of Banerjee's New Delhi programme remains unclear. It has not been confirmed whether she will make only a symbolic appearance at the sit-in demonstration at Jantar Mantar or take an active role in the proceedings. It is also not known whether the protest will be her sole engagement in the capital or whether she will hold separate meetings with leaders of other opposition parties, particularly the Congress leadership, as part of broader INDIA bloc coordination.
The visit will be closely watched as a signal of how much political capital Banerjee — now heading a significantly diminished parliamentary group — can mobilise in a national opposition setting.
Point of View
She needs a visible national platform to signal that TMC remains a force beyond West Bengal. The unanswered question is whether the INDIA bloc — still fractious — will offer her the stage she needs, or whether Congress will keep her at arm's length. Her call for opposition unity rings louder when her own parliamentary numbers are at their weakest, and that contradiction will not be lost on Delhi's political watchers.
NationPress
24 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Mamata Banerjee going to New Delhi on July 27?
Mamata Banerjee is travelling to New Delhi on 27 July to join the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protest against the NEET exam paper leak, likely at Jantar Mantar. She had publicly pledged to participate in the agitation during the Trinamool Congress Martyrs' Day rally in Kolkata on 21 July.
Who is Saugata Roy and why has he been appointed TMC deputy leader?
Saugata Roy is a four-term Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member from the Dum Dum constituency in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. He was named deputy leader of the TMC in the Lok Sabha to fill the vacancy left by Satabdi Roy, who defected to the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) along with 19 other TMC MPs.
Why has Trinamool Congress's Lok Sabha strength fallen to eight?
Twenty former TMC Lok Sabha members recently shifted to the Tripura-based Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) following Trinamool Congress's landslide defeat in the West Bengal assembly elections. This mass defection reduced the party's lower-house presence from a much larger bloc to just eight seats.
What did Mamata Banerjee say about opposition unity?
At the Martyrs' Day rally on 21 July in Kolkata, Banerjee called on all opposition parties to unite under the INDIA (Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance) bloc and jointly organise nationwide movements against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Will Mamata Banerjee meet Congress leaders during her Delhi visit?
It has not been confirmed whether Banerjee will hold meetings with Congress or other opposition leaders during her July 27 Delhi visit. Her schedule beyond the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar remains unclear, according to reports.
