Calcutta, April 6: Mamata Banerjee is facing pressure from her party functionaries to put off the April 21 bandh as people’s queries about the “logic behind” it are leaving them “embarrassed”.

The Trinamul Congress chief had accused the state government of not doing anything to bring down the prices of essentials, which have spiralled across India, and called the 12-hour bandh.

“People in the villages, including activists of our own party, have started asking us about the logic behind the bandh. We feel embarrassed when they ask us if the bandh would help bring down prices,” said a senior party leader.

Sources said many leaders from the districts have sent missives to Mamata pleading with her to defer the bandh till the panchayat elections. They have argued that a shutdown before the polls will distance the party from the people.

“People in the villages are already hard-pressed because of the rise in prices of vegetables and other essential commodities. The shutdown will further push up prices in local markets. We will have to face the people’s wrath while campaigning for the polls,” said a Trinamul general secretary from Purulia.

The people, another leader said, will also question the reason for calling a bandh on a Monday.

A large section of Trinamul accused the leader of announcing the shutdown — at a joint rally with the SUCI on Friday — without discussing it in the party.

“Didi told some of her close aides that she had announced the shutdown on the spur of the moment,” said a leader from Trinamul’s youth wing.

The president of the women’s cell, Kakali Ghosh Dastidar, will “explain to Mamatadi” how the party would suffer because of the bandh.

“It is unwanted before the rural polls,” she added.

In 2006, Mamata had faced similar pressure from the party and outside when she called a 48-hour shutdown to protest against the government’s move “to grab land” in Singur for the Tata Motors plant. It had to be called off.

A Trinamul leader from South 24-Parganas said the party would rather gain from an “effective campaign” in the villages highlighting the state’s failure to rein in hoarders. “Instead of calling a bandh, we should have focused our campaign against some CPM leaders’ collusion with hoarders,” he said.

State Congress chief Priya Ranjan Das Munshi today iterated the party’s appeal to Mamata to defer the bandh.

“A shutdown before the elections would affect all political parties.”

Filing nominations for the panchayat polls will begin from April 9. April 21 is the last date for withdrawal of nominations.