‘He Supported Me A Lot’: Mahua Moitra's Praise For Suvendu Adhikari Sparks Buzz Amid TMC Crisis

Last Updated:June 25, 2026, 07:23 IST

Recalling the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Krishnanagar MP said she was disappointed after not receiving a party ticket and found support in Adhikari at the time.

At a time when Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress is grappling with internal challenges and factional tensions, party Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra’s remarks praising former party colleague and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari have triggered fresh discussion in Bengal’s political circles.

In an interview with the BBC, Moitra, a staunch Mamata Banerjee loyalist, spoke about her personal and political relationship with Adhikari during their years together in the TMC. She said that she shared an “emotional connection" with Adhikari, despite their different political paths. She also emphasised on the support he extended to her during key moments of her early political career.

“At a personal level, I have had a very good relationship with Suvendu Adhikari. When we were in the TMC together, he supported me a lot," Moitra said.

Recalling the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Krishnanagar MP said she was disappointed after not receiving a party ticket and found support in Adhikari at the time.

“In 2014, I was supposed to get a Lok Sabha ticket, but I did not get it. I cried the whole night. At that time, Suvendu was there to reassure me," she said.

Moitra also revisited her first Assembly election campaign in Karimpur in 2016, claiming that Adhikari was among the few senior leaders who stood by her during the campaign.

“When I first contested from Karimpur, no one came to campaign for me. The first rally was done by Suvendu Adhikari. Even today, you can see the pictures," she said.

Adhikari left the Trinamool Congress in 2020 and joined the BJP following differences with the party leadership. Despite their political rivalry today, Moitra said she could not forget the support she received from him.

However, as her remarks sparked speculation online, Moitra later sought to clarify her position on social media. Responding to a user on X, she said portions of the interview had been “cherry picked" and stressed that her comments referred only to their past association within the TMC.

“Yes it is cherry picked. Please listen to the full interview. Suvendu is no angel but he had the guts to leave and fight on their ticket unlike these traitors. And I had a good relationship with him while he was in our party but have never spoken to him since he left," she wrote.

The comments come amid heightened political activity within the Trinamool Congress. Mamata is already battling for control of the TMC with the rebel camp of MLAs led by Ritabrata Banerjee. In Parliament, the TMC has been dealt a severe blow after 20 Lok Sabha MPs merged with the obscure Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) to back the ruling BJP.

A battle over the party’s organisational control recently reached the Election Commission, with the Mamata Banerjee-led leadership and a dissident faction submitting separate lists of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

About the Author

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degre...Read More

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