Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday held crucial closed-door meetings with party leaders from Cooch Behar and Alipurduar, signalling a renewed push to revamp the organisation’s grassroots machinery in North Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
In Cooch Behar, Banerjee met with district TMC president Abhijit De Bhowmik, North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha and other senior leaders.
De Bhowmik later said the session focused on various organisational matters, and a proposed list of new block presidents had been submitted for approval. “It will be officially announced soon,” he added. A parallel meeting for the Alipurduar district was conducted under the leadership of district TMC president Prakash Chik Baraik.
Local MLA Suman Kanjilal, who attended the session, said: “It was an internal organisational meeting. Abhishek Banerjee has sought proposals aimed at strengthening the party’s structure. At this stage, nothing further can be shared.”
TMC sources indicated that both meetings were primarily aimed at sharpening organisational preparedness, given the expected announcement of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Booth-level coordination and voter outreach were key points of discussion, sources said.
“The party wants to move swiftly and proactively in anticipation of the SIR. Mobilising booth workers and gathering grassroots feedback were key themes in Banerjee’s message,” said a TMC insider.
The meetings also coincide with the recent launch of the state government’s flagship grievance redressal campaign, ‘Amader Para, Amader Samadhan’ (Our Neighbourhood, Our Solutions), on August 2.
The party aims to ensure full-scale organisational involvement in
the programme.
While officially described as a routine organisational exercise, party insiders admit the political undertone of Banerjee’s meetings is clear.
“This is part of Abhishek’s broader effort to directly connect with all tiers of the party, from MPs and MLAs to Panchayat and municipal leaders,” said a senior district functionary.