Heavy rain forces Mamata Banerjee to defer north Bengal trip

The chief minister was scheduled to reach the region on June 21, which would have been her first visit after assuming the office for the third time

Police personnel return after finishing their duty to waterlogged Armed Police Headquarters after rain, at Body Guard Lines in Kolkata, on Thursday.:PTI

Avijit Sinha, Bireswar Banerjee   |  TT  |  Siliguri   | 18.06.21:  Heavy rain, which in undated a number of places in south Bengal, including Calcutta, made chief minister Mamata Banerjee postpone her trip to north Bengal, senior Trinamul leader Gautam Deb said here on Thursday.

Mamata was to reach the region on June 21, which would have been her first visit after becoming the chief minister for the third time, to take stock of the situation after the recent Assembly elections.

A new date for her visit has not yet been finalised.

“Today (Thursday), the chief minister informed me that because of the flood-like situation in Calcutta and some other parts of south Bengal, she has has to postpone her trip (to north Bengal). There was waterlogging in a number of areas across Calcutta today (Wednesday) and there is a Met office forecast of high tide, coupled with rainfall, on June 26. That’s why she has decided to visit this region later,” said Deb.

In north Bengal, Trinamul won in 23 Assembly seats in 2021, the same number the party had won back in 2016.

But the dynamics have changed in the five years. This time, the Left and Congress were ousted and Trinamul fought pitched poll battles with the BJP. While it failed to secure even a single seat in districts like Darjeeling and Alipurduar, the party did well in Malda and North Dinajpur.

A senior Trinamul leader in Siliguri said her visit was important, considering recent political developments, including the saffron camp’s campaign to rekindle the demand for separate statehood.

“We need her guidance to know how we should handle the situation, keeping in mind the mixed population of north Bengal,” he said.

Party insiders said leaders and veteran workers, particularly in districts like North Dinajpur and Malda, are eagerly waiting for her.

“Since 2011, for the first time, she has kept the NB development department with herself instead of putting any other MLA as the minister-in-charge. This has drawn praise from the region and there are huge expectations from her,” said another leader.

(https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/weather-forces-mamata-ban)erjee-to-defer-north-bengal-trip/cid/1819163