The Netaji Indoor Stadium dais of the TMC's expanded state conference, which Mamata Banerjee has convened and will chair on Thursday, will be watched with keen interest amid speculations on the presence of heir apparent Abhishek Banerjee and his role in the meet.

Although sources in both the old guard who are fiercely loyal only to the chief minister and the new, Team Abhishek have repeatedly asserted that Abhishek would attend this in person and even deliver a lecture, they threw in a rider — “in all likelihood”.

Speculation on Abhishek's presence remained rife even on Wednesday evening.

“This is akin to that November 23, 2023 meeting of similar proportions at the same venue. Then, citing an ocular condition, he was conspicuous in his near-total absence, fuelling further speculation on the possibility of a rift with his aunt,” said a senior in the party who claimed equidistance from both cliques in the “new versus old” squabbles of Trinamool that have been a chronic headache for the chief minister.

He was recounting Abhishek's brief appearance, virtually, on a giant screen to greet the gathering with folded hands, while state president Subrata Bakshi — grand marshal of the old guard — told the audience that Abhishek had been medically advised rest.

“However, this time he is going to be there physically… and deliver a speech too, in all likelihood. They met over this, as you know,” added the senior, referring to the nephew’s visit to the aunt’s 30B Harish Chatterjee Street residence on Sunday morning, which sources said was a “strategic huddle” before the conference.

At the Thursday congregation of her party ranks, Mamata is likely to convey a unity message and outline a road map for Trinamool leading to next year’s Assembly elections. The event will also mark the Trinamool chief’s first public assertion of sole authority over the party since recently reclaiming its reins after a decade of delegating power to Abhishek.

Mamata has repeatedly asserted at Trinamool meetings since December that she and she alone would be running the party for at least another decade, dismissing any possibility of the new guard taking over.

“She will be the sole star of the show but he will not make the mistake of giving it a miss. Again, in all likelihood,” said a south Bengal lawmaker previously known for his proximity to Abhishek.

The responsibility of organising the event — keeping Abhishek’s office and Team I-Pac at arm’s length — has conspicuously been given to the old guard, namely state party president Bakshi and senior ministers Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas.