A Hanuman Jayanti procession organised by Trinamool Congress on Thursday appeared to bring the factions of the party in Jalpaiguri district closer ahead of the polls.
Although the differences between Krishna Das, Trinamool's Jalpaiguri constituency candidate, and Saikat Chatterjee, the chairman of the Jalpaiguri municipality, are well known, both are making efforts to present a united front, party sources confided.
A glimpse of this was visible on Thursday during the party-backed Hanuman Jayanti procession in Jalpaiguri town.
Organised under the banner of the ‘Mamata-mayi Hanuman Jayanti Celebration Committee’, the procession began from near the Panchakoti Hanuman temple in Maskalaibari and wound its way through the town.
Vehicles in the procession carried flex banners featuring images of lord Hanuman alongside Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee, party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, and party candidate Das.
Das, the party candidate, was down with a throat infection and could not attend the procession, party insiders said.
However, the procession was led by Chatterjee, the chairman of the Jalpaiguri Municipality, along with Tapan Banerjee, convener of the celebration committee, and Sandeep Mahato, civic body vice-chairman.
Supporters of both Das and Chatterjee were seen in the well-attended procession.
“Neither lord Ram nor lord Hanuman belongs exclusively to any individual. It is we, Trinamool members, who are upholding and propagating the principles of Hinduism,” Chatterjee said.
Banerjee said the event marked the effective launch of the campaign for party candidate Das.
“Thousands of people participated in the procession,” he added.
Hanuman Jayanti was observed at the Kalyan Chakraborty Trinamool Bhavan on Merchant Road in Jalpaiguri town, where a puja dedicated to lord Hanuman was performed. Trinamool district secretary Bikash Malakar was present. Elsewhere in the district, celebrations were held in Odlabari under Mal block, where candidate Buluchik Baraik took part, while in Dhupguri, Trinamool leader Rajesh Singh joined similar festivities.