Abhishek to visit kin of lightning strike victims in Murshidabad & Hooghly

KOLKATA: The national general secretary of Trinamool Congress (TMC) Abhishek Banerjee is scheduled to visit the families of victims of lightning strikes on June 9 and June 10. Meanwhile, the leader also paid a visit to TMC's senior leader and MP Saugata Roy on Tuesday afternoon at his residence in Lake Gardens.

After being elevated to the post of TMC national general secretary, Abhishek had been calling on senior leaders of the party to seek their blessings. According to sources, the duo (Banerjee and Roy) discussed matters of national importance for some time. Setting an example of humility, Abhishek touched Roy's feet and sought his blessings. Earlier, he had visited the houses of other senior leaders like Subrata Bakshi, Subrata Mukherjee and Sudip Bandyopadhyay.

While addressing his maiden press conference after becoming the party's national general secretary, Abhishek on Monday said the party was working on its expansion plan in other states and the plan of action would be announced within a month.

Commenting on the 'over enthusiasm' shown by some BJP leaders after he became the national general secretary, Abhishek had asked: " I fail to understand if Trinamool is merely a regional party then why the BJP leaders were rattled, bewildered and perturbed with my appointment as the national general secretary?" Abhishek will visit the families of people who died due to lightning strikes in Murshidabad and Hooghly on June 9 and 10 respectively. At least 27 people got killed in lightning strikes on Monday, the highest-ever such fatalities in the state in a day.

Earlier, the Trinamool Congress all-India general secretary had said not only turncoats, but many BJP MLAs had approached Trinamool Congress and expressed their desire to join the state's ruling party.

Speaking during his first press conference at Trinamool Bhavan after getting his new post, Abhishek said: "We have received more than one lakh emails from people across the country congratulating Mamata Banerjee after her success in the Assembly elections and they have mentioned that she is the only person who can save the Indian Constitution," he said. Slamming the saffron camp for its "nepotism" jab against the Trinamool, the Diamond Harbour MP said he would resign from the party if a Bill is passed in Parliament allowing just one person from every family to join politics.

Meanwhile, Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, AITC Women Wing President & MP, Lok Sabha and Dr Manas Bhunia, MLA & Minister, Water Resources Investigation & Development will tomorrow visit the homes of members of the bereaved families of yesterday's lightning strike in Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur.