When the INDIA bloc leaders met on Wednesday to discuss action against Election Commission and its chief Gyanesh Kumar, a moment of bonhomie between Sonia Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee stood out.As the former West Bengal chief minister addressed the press conference, appealing to NGOs, students, youth, women, civil society and journalists to support the opposition’s campaign, Sonia, siting besides her, could be seen all smiles and all support for Didi’s aggressive assertions.“I want to make one thing clear: we will fight; we will continue this struggle; we will work to restore democracy; and we will protect the Constitution. This is our promise,” Banerjee asserted. We want all of you to stand with us,” Mamata said as Sonia nodded in support and also thumped the desk.A few moments later, Sonia leaned towards Mamata and gave her a pat on the back.Congress made sure the moment did not go unnoticed and later posted a video of the exchange on X with the line: “Fearless, feisty leaders don’t just fight. They applaud the ones fighting along.”Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also shared the video, saying, “Sonia Ji applauding Mamata Di, then that firm pat on the back. Only a feisty, fearless woman who has stood her ground and weathered storms will lean in and cheer another fellow fighter loudly!”Relations between the Congress and Mamata’s Trinamool Congress have often been uneasy. However, today’s moment was a reminder of the close ties that the two powerful leaders have shared over the years, eclipsed only by their political rivalry in West Bengal.For Mamata, the images also come after a particularly difficult few months. The TMC lost power in West Bengal in the 2026 assembly election, ending its 15-year run in government. What followed was an internal rebellion, defections and a challenge to the party leadership, with rebel MLAs and MPs breaking ranks. The fallout has continued, with the Lok Sabha Speaker recently seeking responses from 20 rebel TMC MPs in connection with a disqualification plea.
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It was against a similar backdrop that Mamata and Sonia last met in June. Their embrace at the previous INDIA bloc meeting had gone viral before Mamata visited Sonia at 10 Janpath the next day. It was their first one-on-one meeting in nearly five years and came as the TMC was already battling the fallout of its Bengal defeat.Wednesday’s meeting brought together Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, along with Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee and representatives of several other opposition parties. The alliance discussed a coordinated campaign against the Election Commission over the SIR exercise and other alleged electoral irregularities. Kharge announced a series of protests beginning October 2. The DMK and AAP stayed away, while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav did not attend personally and sent representatives.
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