A day after Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee was attacked, a scheduled meeting of the party’s newly elected MLAs at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence was postponed after only around 20 of the 80 legislators reached the venue.
The low turnout initially sparked speculation within political circles, but the TMC maintained that most MLAs were engaged in organising protests and responding to developments following the attack on Abhishek Banerjee and the alleged assault on party MP Kalyan Banerjee.
Addressing reporters, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the party had decided to prioritise agitation programmes over the meeting, with legislators and local leaders busy coordinating demonstrations and assisting workers allegedly detained during protests. According to him, several MLAs requested that the meeting be deferred as they were handling the situation in their respective constituencies.
The party accepted the request and postponed the meeting, despite a section of legislators already arriving for the scheduled gathering. Ghosh said a fresh date for the legislative party meeting would be announced later.
While the formal meeting did not take place, Mamata Banerjee reportedly held informal discussions with some of the MLAs who were present at her residence.
The TMC also unveiled an intensified protest plan for the next two days. The party has called for block-level and ward-level rallies across West Bengal on Monday, followed by a symbolic day-long sit-in at Kolkata’s Rani Rashmoni Road on Tuesday under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership.
Party leaders said the protests would focus on the alleged attacks on TMC leaders and workers, as well as what the party described as post-poll violence and action against hawkers in different parts of the state. Further political programmes are expected to be announced during Tuesday’s demonstration.
The developments underline the TMC’s effort to shift focus from internal questions over attendance at the meeting to a broader campaign against the BJP, with the party preparing for a fresh round of street protests across the state.
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