Mamata Banerjee should lead Opposition against BJP, says TMC MP Saugata Roy
Synopsis
TMC's Saugata Roy has made it plain: any Opposition front against the BJP must have Mamata Banerjee at its head. His remarks, delivered amid merger talk with Congress and a public spat between Kalyan Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, reveal a party navigating both internal fractures and external pressure — with 'Operation Lotus' cited as the common thread.
Key Takeaways
TMC MP Saugata Roy on 11 June said Mamata Banerjee should lead the Opposition front against the BJP .
He called for a 'close alliance' between Trinamool Congress and Congress to defeat the BJP.
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee attacked party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee over 'arrogance', warning he could quit.
Roy blamed the BJP and RSS's Operation Lotus — using inducements and ED/CBI pressure — for dissent within the TMC.
Roy alleged rebel MP Satabdi Roy was 'already planning to shift' to the BJP, but said expulsion on 'conjecture' was not possible.
Roy urged Mamata Banerjee to personally reach out to rebel MPs for reconciliation.
All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy on Thursday, 11 June stated that party chief and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should be at the 'forefront' of the Opposition's battle against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His remarks came amid swirling reports of a possible TMC-Congress merger, which the Indian National Congress has dismissed as 'rumours' and 'baseless'.
Roy's Stand on Opposition Unity
Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, Roy was unambiguous about his preference for how the anti-BJP front should be structured. 'I want the Trinamool and Congress to work in a close alliance to remove and defeat the BJP. That is all I want,' he said.
'I believe that if we have to fight against the BJP, Mamata Banerjee should be at the forefront. That is all I care about,' he added, underlining that he sees no contradiction between alliance and TMC leadership of it.
Internal TMC Tensions: Kalyan vs Abhishek
Roy declined to weigh in directly on remarks made by TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee, who earlier in the day had attacked Diamond Harbour MP and party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee over alleged 'arrogance' and 'misbehaviour'. Kalyan Banerjee had warned he could quit if Mamata Banerjee felt she could not run the party without her nephew.
Roy's response was measured: 'Kalyan Banerjee is very close to Mamata Banerjee, so the decision will be between the two of them.' He also indicated that no disciplinary action was imminent. 'He has good relations with Mamata Banerjee; they will talk and sort it out,' Roy said.
BJP's 'Operation Lotus' Blamed for Dissent
Roy attributed the visible cracks within the TMC to what he described as deliberate destabilisation by the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 'This is the old technique of BJP and RSS, to spread lies. There are two things in the ongoing Operation Lotus — one is to tempt people and the other is to intimidate them using ED and CBI,' he alleged.
This comes amid broader reports of rebel TMC MPs signalling alignment with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Roy said he had personally spoken to MPs Mala Roy and Saayoni Ghosh three days prior, both of whom denied any intention to switch sides. 'If they change their decision within three days, then what can we do?' he remarked.
Satabdi Roy and the Rebel Question
Roy also pointed to TMC MP Satabdi Roy as someone he believed was 'already planning to shift' to the BJP, though he stopped short of demanding expulsion. 'I called her one day, she said that she was returning from Tokyo and was not aware of anything. But I know that several BJP leaders have very good contact with Satabdi,' he stated.
Notably, Roy maintained that party members cannot be expelled on the basis of suspected contacts with rival politicians. 'One cannot be expelled on conjecture,' he said, while reaffirming his own loyalty to a TMC led by Mamata Banerjee. He also called on the former Chief Minister to personally reach out to rebel MPs to explore reconciliation.
Point of View
He is pre-emptively resisting any merger arrangement that would dilute TMC's primacy. The timing matters: the Kalyan-Abhishek feud is public, rebel MPs are reportedly in BJP's orbit, and Congress has already distanced itself from merger talk. TMC's internal coherence is visibly strained, and Roy's call for Mamata to personally reach out to dissidents suggests the party's informal conflict-resolution channels are under stress. 'Operation Lotus' makes for a convenient external villain, but the TMC's troubles are at least partly homegrown.
NationPress
29 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Saugata Roy say about Mamata Banerjee and the Opposition?
TMC MP Saugata Roy said on 11 June that Mamata Banerjee should be at the 'forefront' of the Opposition's fight against the BJP. He called for a close TMC-Congress alliance aimed at defeating the BJP, while making clear he sees Mamata as the natural leader of any such front.
What is the TMC-Congress merger rumour about?
Reports have circulated about a possible merger between the Trinamool Congress and the Indian National Congress. The Congress has categorically denied these reports, calling them 'rumours' and 'baseless'. Saugata Roy did not address the merger directly but advocated for a 'close alliance' between the two parties.
Why did Kalyan Banerjee attack Abhishek Banerjee?
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee publicly criticised party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, citing alleged 'arrogance' and 'misbehaviour'. He warned he could quit the party if Mamata Banerjee felt she could not run it without her nephew. Saugata Roy said the matter would be resolved directly between Kalyan Banerjee and Mamata Banerjee.
What is 'Operation Lotus' and how does it relate to TMC?
'Operation Lotus' is a term used by Opposition parties to describe alleged BJP efforts to engineer defections from rival parties, reportedly combining financial inducements with pressure through central agencies like the ED and CBI. Saugata Roy invoked it to explain what he sees as externally driven dissent within the TMC.
Is Satabdi Roy leaving the TMC for the BJP?
Saugata Roy alleged that rebel TMC MP Satabdi Roy was 'already planning to shift' to the BJP, citing contacts between her and BJP leaders. Satabdi Roy has not confirmed this. Roy himself said no one can be expelled from the TMC on the basis of conjecture alone.
