TMC Rejects Congress Merger Speculation, Calls Reports 'Baseless'

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday firmly rejected speculation about a possible merger with the Congress, describing the reports as " baseless " amid growing political chatter following recent meetings between senior leaders of the two parties.

A senior TMC leader dismissed the rumours, stating that the party had no information about any such proposal and that reports suggesting a merger were unfounded.

The speculation gained momentum after TMC chief Mamata Banerjee met former Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on Tuesday. The meeting came shortly after leaders of the INDIA bloc gathered in the national capital to discuss opposition strategy against the BJP.

Seeking to quell the rumours, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said reports about what transpired during the Banerjee-Gandhi meeting were "completely inaccurate". He described the interaction as cordial, noting that the two leaders discussed several personal matters reflecting their long-standing relationship.

Sources familiar with the discussions said Banerjee reiterated the importance of opposition unity and stressed that INDIA bloc partners should work together on issues affecting the public. On Wednesday, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee also met Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi , a move seen as part of ongoing coordination between alliance partners.

The meetings come at a challenging time for the TMC, which is grappling with internal dissent following its defeat in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections. Despite the political turbulence, party leaders have maintained that their engagement with the Congress is aimed at strengthening opposition cooperation and not at pursuing any organisational merger.

The TMC, founded by Mamata Banerjee after she split from the Congress in 1998, remains one of the key constituents of the INDIA opposition alliance.