To be held at Kolkata’s Brigade Ground, TMC’s mega rally will be led by party second-in-command and its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Ahead of the rally, a massive stage has been set up at the venue. The stage also has a 340-metre cross ramp which would allow TMC leaders to interact with the audience more closely. TMC supporters had started camping in Kolkata since Saturday. The party has set up camps for its supporters at Salt Lake, Howrah and Gitanjali Stadium in Kolkata.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee is likely to announce nominees for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, party leaders said.
Sources claim that the list is likely to include many old names and may skip some of the more famous ones. “The list of nominees may include several sitting MPs.
Meanwhile, the party might have different plans for some sitting MPs who are famous personalities. We also have some names which are known in their professional fields and are likely to feature on the list of candidates. The party is also considering fielding some young leaders this time. It all depends on what our party chief Mamata Banerjee decides finally,” said a senior TMC leader.
Talking about the ‘Jana Garjan Sabha’, the leader said over 600 TMC leaders of different ranks and from various parts of the state will be attending the programme.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC had won 22 seats – losing 18 to BJP and two to Congress. The tally was lower than the 2014 general elections when it had won in 34 seats.
The ‘Jana Garjan sabha’ comes at a time when many political leaders in Bengal are switching parties. Notable among them is former TMC MLA Tapas Roy who joined the BJP on Wednesday. A day later, former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay formally joined the BJP in Kolkata. The former high court judge has had several run-ins with the TMC government for almost two years now following his orders and judgements.
The same day, BJP MLA from Ranaghat-Dakshin Mukut Mani Adhikari joined the TMC.
The TMC has also been facing criticism from Opposition parties over the recent upheaval in Sandeshkhali — where local residents staged violent protests last month accusing TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his aides of land grab and sexual harassment.
Incidentally, Leader of Opposition in state Assembly and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari will hold a rally in Nazat area of Sandeshkhali on Sunday. The Calcutta High Court on Friday allowed Adhikari to hold a public meeting in Akratala area under Nazat police station, near Sandeshkhali.
Meanwhile, the CPI (M) will organise five to six rallies in across state Sunday where senior leaders like Mohammed Salim, Sujan Chakraborty and Minakshi Mukherjee are likely to speak. On Monday, the CPI(M) will hold a rally in Sandeshkhali.