"Take your blankets and leave before July 21": Mamata warns defectors

Following the party's catastrophic performance in the 26th West Bengal Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) continues to face a devastating exodus of its prominent leaders. Addressing the ongoing wave of defections via a Facebook Live broadcast on Thursday, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee sent a sharp, uncompromising message to those planning to jump ship. With the party's symbolic existence currently under intense pressure, Banerjee asserted that those who must leave under political coercion, judicial cases, or central agency pressure should make their decisions and depart before the scheduled July 21 Martyrs' Day rally.

Banerjee remarked, "Take your blankets and leave before July 21," urging potential defectors not to tarnish the political image of the organization she single-handedly built. She emphasized that the mass exit of compromised leaders, including recent high-profile exits of multiple Rajya Sabha MPs, would not weaken her resolve. Recalling her past struggles in 1997 and 2004, the former Chief Minister confidently declared her readiness to start her political journey from scratch, maintaining that the remaining loyal workers are her true "goldmine" who will carry the party forward.

The TMC leader also leveled serious allegations ahead of the July 21 event, claiming that state police officials and opposing factions are intimidating the families of historic martyrs into attending rival camps. She publicly thanked actress and former Rajya Sabha MP Koel Mallick despite her recent resignation and meeting with BJP top leadership. Vowing to lead her supporters from the Calcutta High Court-approved alternative venue near the Birla Planetarium, Banerjee urged the administration to remain neutral and ensure that opposition troublemakers do not disrupt the event.