Congress opens doors to TMC merger, backs Rahul Gandhi as PM
Synopsis
Back-to-back closed-door meetings between top Congress and Trinamool leaders have reignited merger talk — and Congress is not denying it. With the party explicitly welcoming anyone who backs Rahul Gandhi as PM, the question is whether this is an open invitation or a calculated pressure play on Mamata Banerjee ahead of INDIA bloc recalibration.
Key Takeaways
Congress leaders on 11 June said a TMC merger is a 'natural possibility', citing Mamata Banerjee 's Congress origins.
Gurunadham , Congress's Andhra Pradesh unit Vice President, extended an open invitation to any leader who backs Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister.
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat said those aligned with Gandhian ideology and constitutional values are welcome to join.
Speculation intensified after Mamata Banerjee met Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday and Abhishek Banerjee met Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday in New Delhi .
Ritabrata Banerjee , TMC Legislative Party leader in the West Bengal Assembly, categorically denied any re-merger possibility.
Congress leaders on Thursday, 11 June declared there is a 'natural possibility' of the Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) merging back with the party, citing Banerjee's original Congress roots, and made clear that any leader who supports Rahul Gandhi as India's future Prime Minister is welcome to join.
What Congress Leaders Said
V. Gurunadham, Vice President of the Congress's Andhra Pradesh unit, said Banerjee had fought on behalf of the Congress in West Bengal for a long time before founding her own party. 'She was a Congress leader originally. She had fought on behalf of the Congress in West Bengal for a long time, and so naturally, there is every possibility. That is why the West Bengal Congress chief said that whoever wants to see Rahul Gandhi as India's Prime Minister can join the Congress,' Gurunadham said.
He clarified that the invitation was not exclusive to the Trinamool but extended to any political leader in the country. Invoking former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Gurunadham added: 'Change is the rule of life' — noting that Banerjee had already attended INDIA bloc meetings and held interactions with Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat echoed the sentiment, saying those who subscribe to Gandhian ideology and seek to protect constitutional institutions 'are welcome into the party.'
What Triggered the Speculation
Merger talk gained momentum after Mamata Banerjee held a one-on-one meeting with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday, followed the next day by a separate one-on-one between Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. The back-to-back high-level meetings were widely read as signalling a thaw in relations between the two parties, which have been at odds for much of the last decade.
This comes amid broader churning within the INDIA bloc over seat-sharing and leadership, with the Opposition alliance seeking to consolidate ahead of future electoral contests.
Trinamool Denies Re-Merger
However, Ritabrata Banerjee, leader of the majority bloc of the Trinamool Congress Legislative Party in the West Bengal Assembly and the official Leader of the Opposition in the House, categorically denied any possibility of a re-merger. His statement signals that significant internal resistance exists within the Trinamool to any formal reunion with the Congress.
Background and Context
Mamata Banerjee founded the Trinamool Congress in 1998 after breaking away from the Congress, going on to dismantle the Left Front's three-decade hold on West Bengal. Despite periodic cooperation under the INDIA bloc umbrella, the two parties have remained rivals in the state, often contesting the same seats. A formal merger, if it were to materialise, would represent one of the most significant realignments in Indian Opposition politics in recent memory.
Whether Thursday's welcoming remarks translate into formal negotiations — or remain political signalling — is likely to become clearer as INDIA bloc coordination talks progress.
Point of View
While publicly pressuring Mamata Banerjee on the question of Opposition leadership. The timing is telling: both meetings happened before Congress made any public statement, suggesting a deliberate sequencing. Yet Ritabrata Banerjee's flat denial from within the Trinamool's own legislative bloc reveals the limits of Mamata's unilateral room to manoeuvre. A merger that requires overcoming West Bengal's competitive ground reality between the two parties is far more complex than any Delhi drawing-room meeting suggests.
NationPress
27 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Congress-TMC merger speculation about?
Reports of a possible re-merger between the All India Trinamool Congress and the Congress gained traction after senior leaders from both parties held separate one-on-one meetings in New Delhi on consecutive days. Congress leaders have since said there is a 'natural possibility' of reunion, given Mamata Banerjee's original Congress background.
Why did Mamata Banerjee leave the Congress originally?
Mamata Banerjee founded the Trinamool Congress in 1998 after splitting from the Congress, primarily over political differences in West Bengal. She subsequently led the TMC to dismantle the Left Front's decades-long dominance in the state.
Who met whom ahead of the merger talk?
Mamata Banerjee held a one-on-one meeting with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday, and Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee separately met Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Wednesday. Both meetings were closed-door, fuelling speculation about a possible political realignment.
Has the Trinamool Congress confirmed any merger talks?
No. Ritabrata Banerjee, the leader of the majority bloc of the TMC Legislative Party in the West Bengal Assembly and the official Leader of the Opposition in the House, categorically denied any possibility of a re-merger between the two parties.
What does the Congress say about Rahul Gandhi becoming Prime Minister?
Congress leaders have stated that any political leader — not just from the Trinamool — who wants to see Rahul Gandhi as India's Prime Minister is welcome to join the party. The invitation has been framed as a broad, open call rather than one directed specifically at the TMC.
