Shatrughan Sinha: Mamata my only leader, Abhishek among Parliament's best orators
Synopsis
Veteran MP Shatrughan Sinha has gone on record to call Mamata Banerjee his 'only leader' as TMC faces a wave of defections — while simultaneously praising Abhishek Banerjee as one of Parliament's finest orators. His pointed defence of both Banerjees, combined with his endorsement of Prashant Kishor's Bankipur win, marks a significant public repositioning by one of Indian politics' most recognisable crossover figures.
Key Takeaways
MP Shatrughan Sinha declared Mamata Banerjee his 'only leader', reaffirming loyalty amid a wave of TMC defections.
Sinha credited Banerjee for standing by him after his 2019 Patna election loss and fielding him in the Asansol bypoll , which he won by a record margin.
He called Abhishek Banerjee 'one of the best orators in Parliament', comparing him to Rahul Gandhi and Sanjay Singh .
Sinha dismissed rebel leaders' complaints against Abhishek as 'panic and frustration', noting they surfaced only after the TMC's Assembly poll setback.
Prashant Kishor's Bankipur bypoll win was hailed as 'people's power' and a defeat of BJP's claimed dominance over the seat.
Sinha called student protests over exam paper leaks 'justified', saying the government had failed to move beyond assurances.
Lok Sabha MP Shatrughan Sinha has reaffirmed his unwavering loyalty to Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, calling her his 'only leader', even as he acknowledged that party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee has made significant contributions to the organisation. Speaking in an exclusive interview on 7 August, the veteran actor-turned-politician also praised Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor's victory in the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar.
Why Sinha Stands by Mamata Banerjee
Sinha traced his loyalty to a personal moment of crisis. When he lost the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Patna as a Congress candidate, he said no one from his political circle reached out — except Mamata Banerjee. 'Only Mamata Banerjee called me personally. It showed the trust she had in me,' he said.
He recounted how Banerjee announced his name for the Asansol parliamentary bypoll — without even consulting him first — after Babul Supriyo resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sinha, who had never visited Asansol before, went on to win by a record margin. 'The rest is history,' he said.
Addressing the wave of defections from the TMC following the party's setback in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections, Sinha was unflinching. He noted that the Special Investigation Report (SIR) led to the removal of around 60–65 lakh names from electoral rolls due to alleged discrepancies, yet the party's vote share fell by only 3–4 per cent compared to the ruling party. 'Many run away when a boat starts to sink,' he said, adding that he publicly declared his support for Banerjee because he believes in the principle of 'once a friend, always a friend'.
On Abhishek Banerjee and the Rebel Leaders
Sinha drew a careful distinction between his personal leader and his colleagues. 'Abhishek Banerjee is not my leader... My leader is only Mamata Banerjee, and no one else,' he said. However, he was equally direct in his praise for Abhishek, calling him 'a very capable person, a good human being and a strong leader.'
Sinha placed Abhishek Banerjee alongside Rahul Gandhi and Sanjay Singh, describing him as 'one of the best orators in Parliament, who presents his views with facts, truth and logic.'
On the rebel leaders who have targeted Abhishek, Sinha noted that their complaints surfaced only about a month after the TMC lost the Assembly polls — before which, he said, they were all following Abhishek's lead. He characterised the backlash as 'panic and frustration of the defeated people' and said he was more amused than angered by it.
Prashant Kishor's Bankipur Victory
Sinha expressed no surprise at Prashant Kishor's victory in the Bankipur Assembly bypoll, saying he had always believed Kishor was 'very capable.' He pushed back against the 'outsider' label applied to Kishor, drawing a parallel with his own Asansol campaign and citing precedents: Indira Gandhi contesting from Rae Bareli, Sushma Swaraj from Karnataka, George Fernandes from Muzaffarpur, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi. 'This is people's power,' Sinha said of the result, which he described as a defeat of the BJP's claimed dominance over the seat.
Student Protests and Law and Order in Bengal
Asked about the student agitations — first at Delhi's Jantar Mantar and now in Jharkhand — Sinha said the demands were 'justified.' He pointed to repeated examination paper leaks, arguing that the government had offered only assurances without resolving the root problem. 'If the government does not act, people will naturally come forward and raise their voices,' he said.
On West Bengal under the new BJP government, Sinha said he expects Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee to prioritise development, rule of law, and communal harmony — particularly in Asansol, which he described as 'a city of brotherhood where people of all religions live together with mutual respect.' With TMC navigating internal turbulence and Kishor's Jan Suraaj emerging as a new political force in Bihar, Sinha's public positioning signals that veteran politicians are recalibrating their alignments ahead of future electoral contests.
Point of View
Sinha threads a needle — staying useful to Mamata without being seen as part of the nephew's faction. His endorsement of Prashant Kishor is equally telling: it signals that a section of the opposition is watching Jan Suraaj as a credible new force, not a vanity project. The larger question the interview raises is whether veteran crossover figures like Sinha — who have moved from BJP to Congress to TMC — can serve as stabilisers for a party under internal stress, or whether their public reassurances only underscore how fragile TMC's coalition has become.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Shatrughan Sinha support Mamata Banerjee despite TMC defections?
Sinha says Mamata Banerjee was the only political leader who personally reached out to him after his 2019 Patna election defeat, and later fielded him in the Asansol bypoll without being asked. He describes this as a bond of trust and says he publicly declared his support for her because he believes in 'once a friend, always a friend'.
What did Shatrughan Sinha say about Abhishek Banerjee?
Sinha called Abhishek Banerjee 'a very capable person, a good human being and a strong leader', and ranked him among the best orators in Parliament alongside Rahul Gandhi and Sanjay Singh. He was clear, however, that Abhishek is not his leader — only Mamata Banerjee holds that position.
How did Sinha react to the rebel TMC leaders targeting Abhishek Banerjee?
Sinha described their complaints as 'panic and frustration of the defeated people', pointing out that the same leaders were following Abhishek's direction before the TMC's Assembly poll setback. He said he was more amused than angered by their reversal.
What did Sinha say about Prashant Kishor's Bankipur bypoll win?
Sinha called Kishor 'educated, mature and capable' and said he was never surprised by the victory. He rejected the 'outsider' label applied to Kishor, drawing parallels with Indira Gandhi, Sushma Swaraj, George Fernandes, and PM Narendra Modi contesting outside their home states.
What is Sinha's view on the student protests over exam paper leaks?
Sinha said the students' demands are 'justified' and that the government has repeatedly failed to prevent exam paper leaks, offering only assurances. He said public agitation is a natural consequence when governments do not act on legitimate concerns.
