In Martyrs’ Day rally, stage set for Abhishek to prove his might

In a muscle-flexing exercise, the party will also parade its yet another flock of Congress and Left leaders who are set to join the party Tuesday.

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Trinamool sources said that several sitting Congress MLAs from North Bengal districts are expected to switch over, just as some Forward bloc and CPM leaders are set to join the party as well.

TMC insiders said that the party’s performance in North Bengal was not up to the satisfaction of Mamata and much below than what the TMC party had achieved in South Bengal. So, during her frequent visits to the North Bengal districts, she had not only cultivated the targeted leaders from other parties but entrusted party leaders to follow those up and make them join the TMC. There is a possibility of a split in the ballots in triangular contest if the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha decides to support the BJP in North Bengal assembly seats.

But at no point will the rally lose sight of Abhishek, who not only will be seen conducting the proceedings but will also stake the claim for “the (expected) huge turnout of TMC supporters from across the state”, said a leader.

In recent times, Mamata Banerjee has backed up her nephew, pushing her into the forefront. This, despite some of his utterances in public meetings that many within the TMC considered “politically incorrect.”

And it is not just Mamata Banerjee who has stood by the “young” MP.

State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, too, came to his rescue, saying that “a young, exuberant leader’s words should be taken in the right spirit and in the right context”.

“A section of the old political establishment is trying to give a distorted view to what he (Abhishek) said in order to discredit him,” said Chatterjee, referring to the MP’s statement during a pubic rally in Belpahari where he had said that “Mamata Banerjee government had murdered Kishenji and showed that the people (of state) will have the last word.”

Meanwhile, TMC supporters have started flooding the city’s stadiums where arrangements have been made for their stay, food and medical emergencies. At the Salt lake stadium, over 30,000 TMC supporters reached early Monday, mostly from North Bengal districts.

Special trains were requisitioned for bringing in the supporters who are likely to bring the city to a halt Tuesday as the crowd hit the streets on their way to the meeting at Esplanade.