Kolkata: As rebellion tears through the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the party stares at an unprecedented internal crisis, political circles in Bengal are abuzz with speculation over a dramatic twist: Is Mamata Banerjee preparing to return to the Congress fold she once walked away from?

With rebel MPs and MLAs deserting the ruling camp in droves, whispers of a possible Congress-TMC realignment have gained fresh momentum.

Sources claim Congress leadership has offered Mamata Banerjee the post of All India Vice President, while her nephew Abhishek Banerjee has reportedly been sounded out for the role of General Secretary.

Adding fuel to the buzz, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal is expected to hold a crucial meeting with state unit chiefs on Thursday.

Amid the swirling speculation, former West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has broken his silence, and not without a sharp political jab at the TMC supremo.

‘I never had any personal enmity with the Trinamool Congress or its leaders. They tried to finish my party, and I tried to protect it. That was my political duty,’ Chowdhury said.

But it was his next remark that turned heads. ‘Who is going to whom is for them to explain. But one thing is true: Mamata is coming now because she has lost. Earlier, she never felt the need to come. Whether there is a merger or demerger, I do not know. If the Congress takes any decision, it will inform everyone,’ he said.

The comment is being seen as one of Chowdhury’s strongest signals yet that the Congress may not entirely shut the door on Banerjee if the political arithmetic demands it.

Congress keeps the door open

Current Bengal Congress chief Subhankar Sarkar also dropped a significant hint while responding to the growing chatter.

‘Politics is an art of possibilities. Anyone who accepts Rahul Gandhi’s leadership and has the strength to fight the BJP will be welcomed into the Congress,’ Sarkar said.

His remarks have only intensified speculation that the party is willing to consider new equations if they strengthen the anti-BJP bloc nationally.

Abdul Mannan’s stinging swipe

Not everyone in the Congress, however, appears convinced. Veteran Congress leader Abdul Mannan launched a blistering attack on the TMC supremo, questioning her credibility and trustworthiness.

‘No one can trust Mamata Banerjee’s actions. Her credibility in Indian politics is at rock bottom. Everyone knows it, including Sonia Gandhi. She herself had once said that the Left parties were more trustworthy than Mamata,’ Mannan claimed.

Bengal politics at crossroads

With the TMC facing its biggest internal challenge in years and Congress leaders sending mixed signals, the possibility of a political realignment has become the hottest topic in Bengal’s corridors of power.

Whether the rumours translate into reality remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: as the TMC’s crisis deepens, the prospect of Mamata Banerjee returning to her old political home is no longer being dismissed as mere political gossip.