'My Loyalty Was Questioned, I Was Hurt': Chandrima Bhattacharya On Why She Quit TMC

Last Updated:July 05, 2026, 07:06 IST

Chandrima Bhattacharya said Mamata Banerjee's remarks questioning her integrity forced her to resign, before she joined the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel faction.

Former West Bengal minister Chandrima Bhattacharya on Saturday said she resigned from all posts in the Trinamool Congress (TMC) after party chief Mamata Banerjee questioned her integrity over the takeover of the party headquarters by the rebel faction, saying the accusation deeply hurt her and left her with no option but to step down.

Speaking to news agency ANI after tendering her resignation, Bhattacharya said Mamata Banerjee accused her of “handing over" the Trinamool Bhavan to the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel camp following Friday’s dramatic developments at the party’s state headquarters.

“You saw what happened yesterday. An incident happened at Trinamool Bhavan. After that, Mamata ji spoke to me over the phone. She told me, ‘You handed over Trinamool Bhavan to them.’ This hurt me. There was no need to say this," Bhattacharya said.

Elaborating on her decision later, Bhattacharya said the allegation amounted to questioning her integrity despite her years of loyalty to the party.

“After that incident on Friday, Mamata Banerjee questioned how I could hand over the party office to the rebel camp. I was so sad about this question. I even asked her how she could think of that. Thereafter, I felt that when questions are being raised about my integrity, it would not be right for me to continue in the party’s top post."

“I may have been harsh to many people at times, but my loyalty was unquestionable. So, with a heavy heart, I have decided to quit. There is no question of going to Kalighat again," she said.

Bhattacharya’s resignation came amid an intensifying power struggle within the TMC after the Assembly election defeat, with rival factions battling for control of the party organisation and its assets.

RESIGNS FROM ALL PARTY RESPONSIBILITIES

In her resignation letter addressed to Mamata Banerjee, Bhattacharya stepped down as the TMC’s West Bengal president, a position she had been given in June 2026.

She also resigned from every other party responsibility she held.

“I hereby tender my resignation from the post of State President of All India Trinamool Congress. I also hereby resign from all other posts which I hold at present. Please note that I withdraw myself as the authorised signatory in respect of the accounts maintained in Various Banks. I also withdraw myself from being your authorised person before the Election Commission of India," the letter read.

Despite stepping down, Bhattacharya ended the letter on a conciliatory note, stating that she continued to have the “highest regard" for Mamata Banerjee and would “always remain respectful" towards her.

ALLEGES SHE WAS KEPT OUT OF BUDGET PREPARATION

After resigning, Bhattacharya attended a meeting of the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel faction in the West Bengal Assembly, effectively joining the breakaway camp.

She also levelled fresh allegations about her tenure as Minister of State for Finance (Independent Charge), claiming she was never involved in preparing the state Budget despite presenting it every year in the Assembly.

“Even I was not aware of what would be in the budget speech even a day before presenting the budget. I was made aware of the budget details just a couple of hours before the presentation on the floor of the assembly."

“I was loyal towards Mamata Banerjee, and hence I never disclosed this. Now, since that loyalty is in question and I am being held responsible by Mamata Banerjee for Friday’s takeover of the party office, I had no other option but to resign from all party posts," she said.

Bhattacharya added that although she could reveal more about the functioning of the government, she was deliberately choosing not to do so because, as a former minister, she remained bound by the oath of secrecy.

Her resignation marks another major development in the widening split within the TMC, with Bhattacharya making it clear that the immediate trigger for her exit was the loss of trust after Mamata Banerjee accused her of facilitating the rebel camp’s takeover of the party office and questioned her loyalty to the organisation.

About the Author

Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

News india 'My Loyalty Was Questioned, I Was Hurt': Chandrima Bhattacharya On Why She Quit TMC

Read More