Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will kick off her Assembly election campaign on Sunday evening with a closed-door kormi sabha at Ahindra Mancha in Chetla, focusing on poll strategy for the Bhabanipur constituency.
Trinamool insiders said Mamata is expected to unveil a roadmap for a door-to-door campaign in her constituency and discuss party tactics following the recently concluded electoral roll revision.
The BJP’s leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, is contesting against Mamata from this south Calcutta seat.
Councillors from the eight Kolkata Municipal Corporation wards within Bhabanipur, along with other party workers, will attend the meeting in the presence of Trinamool president Subrata Bakshi and senior leader Firhad Hakim.
Mamata’s address comes two days after senior leaders overseeing poll preparedness in Bhabanipur met party workers in the constituency on Friday.
“Close to 72% of votes in the constituency went to Mamata in the 2021 bypoll. But with the revised voter list, things are different this time,” a senior Trinamool leader said.
The chief minister has already met booth-level agents (BLAs) twice, the leader added. On Sunday, she is expected to outline the plan for BLAs working alongside senior leadership.
Suvendu has launched his Bhabanipur campaign. On Saturday, he offered prayers to Goddess Kali at the Kalighat temple, near Mamata’s residence. “I prayed to Ma Kali for her blessings and for the welfare of the state,” he said.
Trinamool has pitched Mamata as Bhabanipur’s ghor-er meye (daughter of the neighbourhood) in its campaign.
Kajari Banerjee, Mamata’s sister-in-law, is the councillor of Ward 73. The remaining seven councillors in the constituency are also from Trinamool.
Posters highlighting an insider-outsider narrative have appeared near Jadu Babu’s Bazar, without naming Suvendu or showing party symbols.
“Before leaving for her north Bengal campaign on March 24, covering Moynaguri, Matigara and Alipurduar, Mamata wants to finalise the blueprint for her home constituency on Sunday,” the leader said.