Kolkata, March 22 -- As a preparatory move to take stock of the electoral situation in her Assembly constituency Bhowanipore, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Sunday attended a strategy meeting with her party activists at Ahindra auditorium in Chetla, setting up guidelines on which the election will be fought in the Constituency.
During the meeting, Mamata urged the party leaders to keep a watch on strong rooms after the elections are over. She reminded about the counting in Nandigram in the 2021 Assembly polls.
"After the polls are over, keep a watch on strong rooms. There may be attempts to stop power supply," Mamata told the party workers.
Meanwhile, her party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who also attended the meeting, has set a target of winning the Bhowanipore seat by a margin of at least 60,000 votes. Sources said that during the workers' meet, Abhishek told his party leaders and councillors that they will have to ensure that Bhowanipore comes first in terms of winning margin. Abhishek also reminded the party leaders about the simple lifestyle of the party supremo Mamata, who is again contesting from this seat.
Abhishek urged the party leaders to go to each doorstep and produce the "report card" of the Mamata Banerjee government to each voter. He also urged his partymen to highlight the Centre's deprivation. The maximum emphasis during the campaign will be given on nearly 100 social development schemes of the state government, starting from 'Lakshmir Bhandar", "Yuva Sathi" and others. Sources also said that Abhishek reminded that the party had a lead in 231 booths in the previous polls and this time the margin should be increased. Senior leaders like Subrata Bakshi, the state president of the party, Debashis Kumar, south Kolkata district president, the city's mayor Firhad Hakim, and seven party councillors from Bhawanipore also attended the meeting. Trinamool Congress MP Mala Roy, during 2024 Lok Sabha polls had trailed behind the BJP in five municipal wards 63,70,71,72 and 73 in Bhawanipore. Over 14000 electors belonging to 'under adjudication' are awaiting clearance from the judicial officers to exercise their voting rights in her Constituency.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to hold two rallies each in Kolkata ~ each one at north and south Kolkata, speculations were being floated that his south Kolkata rally may touch high-profile Constituency, Bhawanipore.
Banerjee will start her election campaign in north Bengal from Wednesday. Bhowanipore will go for a vote on April 29. She will leave Kolkata for north Bengal on Tuesday afternoon. After carrying out three rallies in north Bengal on Wednesday, she will return to Durgapur. She will hold a series of rallies on Wednesday. Each rally will be carried out at Naxalbari, Dabgram, Phulbari and Maynaguri. On Thursday, she is expected to hold election campaigns in West Burdwan's Pandabeswar and Birbhum's Dubrajpur. She will conduct a total of five election rallies on Wednesday and Thursday.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.