West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said the party’s journey began on January 1, 1998, with the aim of serving ‘Maa Mati Manush’. File | Photo Credit: ANI Extending greetings on the Trinamool Congress’s foundation day, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Thursday (January 1, 2026) said the party would continue to fight for the people and would not bow before “malevolent forces”. CM Banerjee said the core guiding principle of the party’s “historic journey” was the honour of the motherland, the development of Bengal and the protection of democratic rights. She said the party’s journey began on January 1, 1998, with the aim of serving ‘Maa Mati Manush’. “Even today, every worker and supporter of our party remains steadfast and committed to this goal,” she said in a post on X, paying homage to the “tireless efforts and sacrifices” of party workers. Maintaining that the party has been “blessed with the grace, love and prayers of countless people”, CM Banerjee said that with public support as its sustenance, the TMC would remain resolute in its fight for every individual in the country. “We will not bow to any malevolent forces, and disregarding all enmity, our struggle for the common people will continue lifelong,” she said. TMC’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said the party’s strength lay in its grassroots workers and their discipline, sacrifice and faith. “On Trinamool Congress Foundation Day, I bow my head in gratitude to every member of our ever-expanding family,” he posted on X. The Diamond Harbour MP said what began as a movement for change has evolved into a powerful democratic force. “My deepest respect is reserved for our grassroots workers. You are the authors of this story,” he said. He asserted that as long as the TMC remained anchored to ‘Maa, Mati, Manush,’ “no force, however arrogant or oppressive, can defeat the collective resolve of Bengal”. “Today, we renew our pledge to stand beside the people, to shield their democratic voice, and to ensure that no one in Bengal is harassed, humiliated, or intimidated by the Bangla-Birodhi zamindari powers,” he added. In a separate post on X, the Trinamool Congress described it as a movement “born of conviction, moral clarity, and a tireless resolve to serve people selflessly”. “For us, service to humanity is the truest expression of faith, and public duty the highest form of devotion,” it said, calling itself “a movement forged in fire, strengthened in struggle, and sustained by the dignity of ordinary people”. Mamata Banerjee left the Congress and formed the TMC on this day in 1998 to challenge the Left Front’s entrenched rule in West Bengal. It came to power in 2011. The TMC steps into its 28th at the threshold of a decisive election year, with the Assembly polls barely three months away. Published – January 01, 2026 01:21 pm IST Share this: Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Click to print (Opens in new window) Print Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Like this:Like Loading... Post navigation Key events that defined Indian diplomacy in 2025 Lokpal scraps controversial tender to buy seven BMW cars