Left Rejects Mamata Banerjee’s Call for Opposition Unity

MP, May 11, 2026, Kolkata: The CPI(M) has firmly rejected Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s appeal for opposition unity against the BJP, making it clear that the Left would not join hands with what it described as “corrupt” and “communal” forces.

The sharp response came shortly after Banerjee urged Left parties, ultra-Left groups, and other anti-BJP forces to unite to take on the BJP following the Trinamool Congress’s Assembly election setback.

In a social media post later shared by the CPI(M) West Bengal unit, party state secretary Mohammed Salim wrote: “Strictly no! No entry for anyone with criminal, extortionist, corrupt and communal background. Though commoners and marginalised people have to be protected.”

The post was seen as a direct rejection of Banerjee’s proposal for a broader anti-BJP understanding.

The Left also held a rally in the city against vandalism and violence that were apparent after the elections.

The CPI(M) accused the Trinamool Congress of helping the BJP grow politically in Bengal over the years.

Senior Left leaders also targeted the ruling party over its role in national opposition politics.

CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty alleged that it was Mamata Banerjee who had “brought the BJP into Bengal politics” and accused the Trinamool Congress of repeatedly weakening opposition unity at the national level.

Another CPI(M) leader, Shamik Lahiri, questioned Banerjee’s anti-RSS credentials and alleged that the Trinamool had earlier fought the Left alongside the BJP and RSS.

Other leaders such as Bikashranjan Bhattacharya and Shatarup Ghosh also echoed the same, reminding how, after coming to power in 2011, the TMC had allegedly murdered several Left workers, and many were rendered homeless.

Meanwhile, the Congress, too, reacted cautiously to Banerjee’s outreach.

Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said any discussion on opposition unity could move forward only if Banerjee accepted Rahul Gandhi as the leader of the INDIA bloc.

Adhir also launched a strong attack on the Trinamool Congress, blaming the party for political violence in Bengal and alleging that the BJP’s rise in the state took place under Mamata Banerjee’s rule.

He said the Trinamool, after suffering electoral defeat, was now seeking support from the very parties it had once tried to weaken politically.