Abhishek likely to launch Nabajowar-like campaign after Brigade rally on March 10

After the rally at Brigade Parade Ground on March 10, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is likely to launch a two-month campaign ahead of Lok Sabha polls with the tagline ‘Zamindari Hatao, Bangla Bachao’ (remove zamindari, save Bengal).

Abhishek, who has been vocal against the Centre’s fund blockade, will be put at the forefront by the party in its bid to corner the BJP in the upcoming Parliamentary elections. The March 10 rally at the Brigade is also focused on highlighting the way the Centre has allegedly been depriving the people of the state out of “political vendetta”. Sources said that party chairperson Mamata Banerjee is planning to use the Diamond Harbour MP and party’s national general secretary Abhishek to launch a campaign akin to the Nabajowar rally that was conducted ahead of the Panchayat election in the state. It was learnt that the “overwhelming footfall” at his rallies proved that people are being able to connect with him, said party sources.

At a recent event in Maheshtala, Abhishek said that during his Nabajowar rally he came across lakhs of people in rural Bengal who conveyed to him their grievances relating to lack of wages, shelters and poor conditions of rural roads due to Centre’s fund blockade under various schemes, including MGNREGA and the PM Awas Yojana. It was Abhishek who also led the first delegation of MPs, MLAs and deprived beneficiaries of Bengal to Delhi to protest at Krishi Bhavan. However, the party is yet to officially announce its plans and draw up a blueprint. Further, the party also has plans to use Abhishek outside Bengal in states such as Assam and Meghalaya where TMC has its organisation and is planning to field candidates. The party units in these two places are learnt to have requested for the presence of Mamata and Abhishek for campaigns.