After breaking away from the Congress to form the Trinamool Congress (TMC), is former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee now preparing to return to her parent party? 

Amid reports of a major split within the TMC, speculation is growing that Mamata Banerjee could rejoin the Congress nearly 28 years after leaving it.

According to sources, Congress has offered her the post of national vice-president, with the proposal reportedly coming from Sonia Gandhi.

Sources further claim that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has offered TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee the post of Congress general secretary.

The reported outreach follows an alleged private meeting between Sonia Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday.

Could TMC lose its identity amid internal rebellion?

The speculation comes against the backdrop of a deepening crisis within the TMC.

Sources claim that around 20 of the party's 28 Lok Sabha MPs, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, may form a separate parliamentary bloc and stake claim to being the ‘real’ Trinamool Congress.

Reports also suggest that a section of Rajya Sabha MPs is considering resigning from the party, while around 64 MLAs are allegedly attempting to form a separate faction under the leadership of Ritabrata Banerjee.

If such a faction gains recognition as the legitimate TMC, it could potentially claim the party symbol, organisational control, and access to party assets.

Political observers are questioning whether a Congress-TMC rapprochement could be part of a strategy to prevent such an outcome.

What is Bengal Congress saying?

Congress workers are said to be awaiting a decision from the party's top leadership.

However, sections of the state Congress unit have reportedly begun raising concerns about admitting leaders facing allegations of corruption or wrongdoing.

The issue is expected to come up during a meeting of state Congress presidents in Delhi on Thursday, where West Bengal Congress chief Shubhankar Sarkar is scheduled to participate.

Speaking on the matter, Shubhankar Sarkar said: "Politics is an art of possibilities. You will see in the coming days which direction those possibilities take. The state Congress will not react prematurely."

He added: ‘Anyone who accepts Rahul Gandhi's leadership and dares to fight the BJP will be welcomed. But those who are corrupt will not find a place in Congress. They need a separate washing machine.’

BJP reacts

Reacting to reports of Mamata Banerjee's possible return to Congress, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar said:

"No one knows what transpired behind closed doors, so it would be inappropriate to comment. However, Mamata Banerjee began her political journey in Congress. If she returns, it would be a case of returning to where she started."

He also questioned whether Congress cadres would accept Mamata's comeback, saying that it was for the Congress leadership to decide.

A dramatic political realignment?

Mamata Banerjee founded the Trinamool Congress in 1998 after breaking away from Congress and went on to dominate West Bengal politics for over a decade.

In recent years, however, she worked alongside Congress as part of the opposition INDIA bloc.

With TMC facing an unprecedented internal challenge and Congress reportedly exploring a broader anti-BJP consolidation, the possibility of Mamata returning to Congress has triggered intense debate across the political spectrum.

According to sources, Mamata Banerjee has sought time from Sonia Gandhi before taking a final call on the proposal. Neither Congress nor TMC has officially confirmed the reports.