KOLKATA — Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee pledged Tuesday to strengthen the INDIA opposition bloc after her party’s decisive defeat in the West Bengal Assembly polls, confirming that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Hemant Soren, and Tejaswi Yadav contacted her a day after the results. She declared herself a “free bird” and committed to unifying the alliance following the setback.

Banerjee told reporters at her residence that the outreach from key INDIA bloc leaders underscores the coalition’s resolve to regroup after electoral losses in multiple states. She said Akhilesh Yadav, chief of the Samajwadi Party, will meet her Wednesday to discuss coordination within the opposition front.

The Trinamool chief framed her position as unburdened by state-level political constraints after the West Bengal results, which saw the Bharatiya Janata Party secure a majority and dislodge her party from power. She offered no details on specific strategies but emphasized consolidation of anti-Bharatiya Janata Party forces under the INDIA banner.

Akhilesh Yadav is scheduled to arrive in Kolkata Wednesday for talks with Banerjee on aligning opposition responses in Parliament and upcoming state elections. Banerjee’s office said she will continue consultations with other INDIA bloc leaders in the coming days.