New role: Mahua appointed as Nadia-Krishnanagar dist prez

Kolkata: In what is being viewed as a significant reshuffle in the party’s district organisation ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool Congress (TMC) has appointed its MP Mahua Moitra as the district president of Nadia-Krishnanagar, however, Anubrata Mondal’s name found no mention as district president of Birbhum.

Moitra has thanked party chairperson Mamata Banerjee for the responsibility given to her.

As the new leaders appointed in the posts of district president and district chairperson would lead the party’s district organisations ahead of Lok Sabha elections and prepare the ground for the polls, the reshuffle assumes significance as changes were made in almost all districts.

One among several other appointments that drew the attention was of MP Mahua Moitra as the district president of Nadia-Krishnanagar — a move that has now cleared doubts of the Opposition who were under the impression that TMC is distancing itself from Mahua after the latter is facing heat in the matter relating to alleged ‘cash for query’ controversy.

Moitra, although has made it clear that the party was always with her, thanked TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee for having faith in her. She wrote on X: “Thank you @MamataOfficial and @AITCofficial for appointing me District President of Krishnanagar (Nadia North). Will always work with the party for the people of Krishnanagar.”

Another appointment that drew attention was the ‘omission’ of the name of Anubrata Mondal as the district president of Birbhum. Mondal, currently lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with an alleged cattle smuggling case in Bengal, was not removed from his position until Monday.

Earlier, Mamata had appointed herself as the unofficial observer for the district and subsequently gave the charge to other senior party leaders but did not remove Mondal.

Even as Mondal’s name was absent in the position of district president in Monday’s list, no one in particular was appointed to the position. The responsibility instead has been given to the ‘Core Committee’. Senior leader and Cabinet minister Ashish Banerjee was appointed the district chairperson.

For Kolkata (North) Lok Sabha constituency, MP Sudip Bandopadhyay was made the district president but no one was appointed to the position of district chairperson. For Kolkata (South), Debashish Kumar was made the district president and Manish Gupta the district chairperson.

Meanwhile, TMC also appointed members to its state committee in the position of state secretary. The members are Mridul Goswami, Shaoni Singha Roy, Kanai Chandra Mandal and Dr Soumen Mahapatra.