Mamata to visit north Bengal next week -to adress supporters ofJalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar in two public meetings.

Mamata’s visit, would be significant amid the ongoing BJP-TMC turbulence in the area, with the BJP making it clear that north Bengal is it focus

Officials and TMC leaders visit a helipad near Jalpaiguri town on Wednesday.: Biplab Basak

TT   |   Jalpaiguri   |    10.12.20  :  Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will visit north Bengal next week to address party workers and supporters of Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar in two public meetings.

Mamata’s visit, Trinamul insiders said, would be significant amid the ongoing BJP-TMC turbulence in the area, with the BJP making it clear that north Bengal, where it won seven out of eight Lok Sabha seats in 2019, was its focus.

Party sources said Mamata will reach Uttarkanya in Siliguri on December 14. The next day, she would take a chopper to Jalpaiguri for a public meeting at ABPC Ground. On December 16, she would speak at  the Raas Mela Ground of Cooch Behar. She would then leave for Calcutta via Bagdogra.

Earlier, it was decided that as supporters of both Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar would attend the first meeting, the venue would be located midway.

“However, our party leaders told us yesterday (Tuesday) that the first meeting would be held in Jalpaiguri town, seven days after BJP’s protest march (held last Monday). It seems the party wants the meeting near where BJP workers had perpetrated violence to pass a message to residents of the region,” said a TMC source.

Senior officials of the administration and police and TMC leaders visited the he ABPC Ground in Jalpaiguri, some 35km from Fulbari, where Ulen Roy, a BJP worker, fell to pellets on Monday.

In Cooch Behar, the selection of the venue for Mamata’s public meeting is significant, pointed out political observers.

“The Raas Mela (or Rashmela) Ground is in the heart of the district headquarters, and more importantly, Cooch Behar South Assembly seat. The MLA of this seat (Mihir Goswami) recently defected from TMC to BJP and it seems the TMC wants to assert its support base here to put pressure on BJP,” said an observer.

Goswami joined BJP in Delhi last month, but is yet to step down from the MLA’s post.

“We expect the chief minister to guide us on how to take up political activities in this Assembly seat after the changed situation (MLA’s defection),” said a party leader.

Additional inputs from our Cooch Behar correspondent

(https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/mamata-banerjee-to-visit-north-bengal-next-week/cid/1800063)