TMC MP Mahua Moitra on Thursday, 25 June 2026, sharply dismissed speculation that she is planning to defect from the Trinamool Congress, calling those spreading the rumours 'conspiracy theorists' and clarifying that a remark she had made about her past friendship with Suvendu Adhikari referred strictly to the period when he was still a TMC colleague.

Context

Moitra, the Lok Sabha MP from Krishnanagar, West Bengal, posted on X that her comment about 'friendly relations' with Adhikari was made in reference to the time 'when he was in my party,' adding that she has 'not spoken to him since he left.' She categorically stated she is not joining what she called the 'Gaddar brigade' — a pointed phrase invoking the Hindi word for traitor — directed at those who have crossed the floor from TMC to BJP.

The post appears to be a direct rebuttal to social-media speculation, possibly triggered by a recent public statement or interview in which she acknowledged her earlier cordial ties with Adhikari. Moitra's unambiguous language — 'Get a life' — signals her frustration at what she views as bad-faith political inference.

Policy Backdrop

Suvendu Adhikari resigned from TMC and joined BJP in December 2020, becoming one of the most high-profile defections ahead of the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. He subsequently became the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, emerging as a principal adversary of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the party he once helped build.

That wave of defections tested the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution — the anti-defection law, last significantly amended in 2003 — and deepened mistrust within TMC ranks. The episode left a lasting imprint on West Bengal politics, with TMC leadership remaining acutely sensitive to any perceived signal of disloyalty among sitting legislators and MPs.

Stakeholders and Impact

BJP has consistently sought to expand its footprint in eastern India by targeting TMC legislators, and any hint of a prominent MP like Moitra warming to the opposition can trigger amplified speculation in an already volatile political environment. Moitra's high public profile — built through sharp parliamentary interventions and a large social-media following — means even casual remarks are parsed closely by political observers and rival parties.

For TMC, the episode underscores the ongoing challenge of managing internal narratives and public perception of party unity. Moitra's swift, blunt rebuttal is consistent with the party's broader effort to project cohesion, particularly with West Bengal's electoral calendar in view.

What's Next

Political watchers will monitor whether TMC leadership issues any formal statement endorsing Moitra's clarification, and whether the speculation subsides or intensifies in the coming days. Any by-elections or Assembly sessions in West Bengal in the near term are likely to keep legislator-loyalty questions in the spotlight.

Moitra's post, for now, draws a firm line: past friendships forged within a shared party do not translate into present political allegiance — a distinction she insists critics are deliberately blurring.