Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to visit Birbhum for three days from January 31, her first trip there after her party’s district unit chief Anubrata Mondal was arrested by the CBI in connection with an alleged multi-crore cattle-rustling case last August.
According to the latest communication from Nabanna, Mamata would hold an administrative review meeting in Bolpur’s Gitanjali auditorium on January 31 and attend a public meeting to distribute government benefits among people the next day in an adjoining block of Bolpur.
“Although there is no political rally during her trip, she would certainly meet the district leaders over the political issues in the absence of Keshto (Mondal). All the MLAs and MPs have been asked to be in the district during her threeday trip,” said a source in Trinamul Congress.
Sources said Mamata’s visit to the district, a Trinamul stronghold in central Bengal, is vital, as the party’s organisation has reportedly become a tad shoddy in the absence of its strongman Mondal and Birbhum has suddenly become a challenge for the ruling establishment before the panchayat polls this year.
“We are waiting for her visit, as there is no proper directive on who would centrally monitor the panchayat election if our leader Anubrata Mondal has to be behind bars for long,” said a senior Trinamul leader in Birbhum.
As of now, the district is run by a four-member committee headed by the party’s Suri MLA and zilla parishad chief Bikash Roy Chowdhury, in accordance with the directive of top leadership in Calcutta.
Mondal remains the district president of the party. Mamata has stood by Mondal since his arrest.
“We want Didi or (the party’s national general-secretary) Abhishek Banerjee to look after the party’s organisation directly, as all is not well in the absence of Anubrata Mondal. It is also uncertain when he will be freed,” said a Trinamul leader.
Sources said Trinamul has several factions in Birbhum. Leaders often do not see eyeto-eye. Mondal kept all of them together.
“All factions have turned active within two months of Mondal’s arrest. The BJP is also trying to cover lost ground. The CPM is trying to flex its muscles in minority pockets with help of anti-Mondal factions. The party needs to pay heed,” said a source.
Trinamul leaders sounded elated after Mamata’s visit was officially communicated on Wednesday.
“We need her now when our leader Anubrata Mondal is absent. We are eagerly waiting to hear from her about our course of action before the panchayat polls,” said Trinamul spokesperson Malay Mukherjee.
A Trinamul source said there was a chance Abhishek would visit the district before Mamata’s trip.
Mamata’s visit is also vital for the proposed Deocha-Pachami coal mine project.