Defeated Trinamool Congress leaders found themselves in a difficult position on Friday after party chief Mamata Banerjee said those wanting to leave were free to do so, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) decided to stop all new inductions for at least three months.

Former West Bengal CM and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee speaks during a meeting with the party’s contesting candidates at Kalighat, in Kolkata on Friday. (@AITCofficial X/ANI)

According to people familiar with the matter, the former CM called defeated candidates to her Kalighat residence for a closed-door meeting to analyse the May 4 results, but expressed anguish at some of them for making anti-TMC remarks and holding Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), the party’s strategy consultant, responsible for the defeat.

“Mamata said she would not stop anyone from leaving TMC and joining any other party. She said she would start from scratch if required,” one of the defeated candidates, who was present at the meeting, said on condition of anonymity. “She said she and Abhishek Banerjee would go through feedback from all constituencies before drawing any conclusion on I-Pac,” he added.

The development came days after several TMC leaders blamed the I-PAC and the party leadership for the defeat. The BJP won 207 of Bengal’s 294 assembly seats, reducing the TMC to 80.

Senior leader Kalyan Banerjee, whose son lost the election, said, “We won so many elections under Mamata Banerjee’s strong leadership. Did we make a mistake by depending so much on I-PAC?”

Amid reports that several TMC leaders were trying to join the BJP, senior BJP leaders met and decided against inducting anyone for at least three months. “Even if someone is inducted after three months, it will be after thorough scrutiny. BJP will not open floodgates to let TMC’s bad elements in,” a state BJP leader said.