West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. (Express photo/File)Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will embark on a five-day trip to East and West Midnapore districts Monday to chair administrative review meetings and public meetings. Sources said she has made it a priority to first visit areas where BJP performed well in the last panchayat polls.
Mamata will start her tour by addressing a public meeting at Keshiary, West Midnapore district, on Monday. In the last panchayat polls, which were held in May. In the Keshiary block panchayat samiti, BJP had won 13 of 25 seats and a majority in 9 gram panchayats. The party’s success here had spurred the ruling TMC to overhaul its district party leadership. On Sunday, local BJP workers held a protest rally against the government and TMC for preventing them from forming boards in areas where they had majority.
The other motive: Wake-up call for non-performers
“Under such circumstances, Mamata Banerjee’s visit here assumes significance as she does not want any further erosion in her party’s support base. She will make efforts to arrest the BJP’s momentum here, which has been possible because some local leaders did not do their duties properly. Our party supremo is likely send a strong message to the district leadership and also target the BJP for dividing the people here along religious lines,” said a senior party leader.
Last week, Mamata had held an administrative review meet and public meetings in Purulia district, which also witnessed a significant rise in support for the saffron party since panchayat polls.
After her visit to Keshiary, the chief minister will chair an administrative meeting in Midnapore town on December 4. The day after that, she will leave for East Midnapore district to hold a public meeting at Bajkul. On December 6, she is scheduled to hold a meeting at the sea-side resort town, Digha.
