Nearly six weeks after the Lok Sabha polls, Trinamool Congress chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will address party workers on Sunday at the annual Martyrs’ Day event where she is expected to speak about key issues, including the party’s role in the Opposition INDIA bloc.
Ms. Banerjee has invited Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav to participate in her party’s rally and he is likely to be present at the political gathering. Earlier this month, the Trinamool Congress chairperson met Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray during her visit to Mumbai.
With 29 Lok Sabha seats, Trinamool Congress is the third largest party in the INDIA bloc after the Congress and Samajwadi Party. Sunday’s rally also provides a platform to the Trinamool leadership to outline the party’s strategy in future. It has in the past tried to extend footprints beyond the State but without much success.
Abhishek to attend
The other crucial issues that are expected to be addressed by the Chief Minister involve the party’s second line of leadership, factionalism and rise of anti-social elements in the party. Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who has been keeping away from active politics after the Lok Sabha polls, will also participate in the rally.
Despite the success in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls, the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal is facing issues like funds to key central schemes like MGNREGA being withheld by the Union government, and Centre-State relations hitting a nadir. The Assembly polls in West Bengal are scheduled in 2026 and Trinamool supporters are keen to hear the political message from the party chairperson.
There are also rumours about leaders from other political parties joining Trinamool Congress at the gathering, something that has happened in the past as well. There are rumours in the political circles that former Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Sovan Chatterjee along with his friend Baishaki Banerjee, who left the Trinamool for the BJP, are likely to return to the State’s ruling party.
Taking stock
On Saturday evening, Ms. Banerjee visited the venue of the rally outside Victoria House in Kolkata’s Esplanade area to take stock of the arrangements. She said Mr. Yadav has been invited and if the weather permits, then he will attend the gathering. Trinamool supporters from several districts of the State have started to arrive in Kolkata and arrangements have been made by the party for their stay in the city.
“We pay homage to all those who laid down their lives on July 21 [1993], along with other martyrs of movements in the State...many believe that it is our rally but the rally is to commemorate the tradition of Bengal,” Ms. Banerjee said.
Thirteen Youth Congress supporters were killed in police firing on July 21, 1993 during the regime of the Left Front government. The rally was led by Ms. Banerjee who was then with the Congress and since then she has been organising the event, which has turned out to be the biggest gathering of Trinamool Congress after the party was set up in 1998.
The Chief Minister expressed hope that the frequency of the trains plying in the State will be increased by the Railways so that people are able to participate in the rally in large numbers.
Published - July 20, 2024 09:31 pm IST
