Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asserted that the Trinamool Congress will return to power with a two-thirds majority in the 2026 Assembly elections in the state and ruled out the possibility of stitching any alliance with the Congress, according to the TMC’s mouthpiece. The mouthpiece ‘Jago Bangla’ reported that Banerjee made these remarks during a meeting of the TMC legislative party on Monday. According to that report, Banerjee told her legislators, “Trinamool will return to power with a two-thirds majority in 2026. We do not need anyone’s help. We will fight alone and win alone.”

The report also stated that Banerjee expressed confidence that the TMC will form the government for a fourth consecutive term and said the party’s preparation for the state elections should begin. Banerjee’s remarks evoked a strong reaction from the West Bengal Congress unit, which said such “unnecessary remarks” were a result of panic in several parties that seem to have understood the mistake of ignoring Congress after the Delhi polls. It was found in the Delhi assembly elections that division of votes between AAP and the Congress led to the victory of the BJP in several seats. In the wake of the recent Delhi Assembly bypoll results, in which the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faced huge setbacks, the winner BJP has drawn parallels with West Bengal, claiming that Banerjee’s welfare schemes may not translate into electoral gains.

Referring to the loss of AAP, BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and state party chief Sukanta Majumdar, have suggested that the people of Bengal, like those in Delhi, will reject the ruling party’s “freebies.” Amid such discussions, ‘Jago Bangla’ quoted Banerjee as saying, “The opposition’s claims will not deter us. Our schemes have benefitted the people, and they will stand by us again.” The TMC’s decision to go solo also holds significance in light of speculation over the Congress’s next move in West Bengal. After the removal of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as state Congress president and the appointment of Subhankar Sarkar, who is perceived to be softer towards the TMC, political circles were abuzz with talks of a possible Congress-TMC understanding.