Rebel Trinamool camp led by Ritabrata Banerjee forms district committees

Kolkata, July 11 (IANS) A day after making changes to the state committee, the rebel but majority faction of the Trinamool Congress led by the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Ritabrata Banerjee, on Saturday reconstituted the party's district committees, establishing the rebel camp's dominance at the district level. 

The names of the Ritabrata camp's district committees and a panel of spokespersons were announced simultaneously on Saturday. The biggest surprise on the list was Trinamool strongman Anubrata Mondal, who had been the party's Birbhum district president for a long time in Mamata Banerjee's original Trinamool Congress. It is learnt that the responsibility for Birbhum district has now been handed over to him.

According to political circles, the rebel camp is constituting one committee after another to directly challenge Mamata Banerjee's sole authority in state politics. 

Meanwhile, Panihati heavyweight leader and former MLA Nirmal Ghosh was present at Saturday's organisational meeting. Several new faces and familiar leaders were also seen at the meeting.

Leaders including Ranjan Sarkar, Kohinoor Majumdar, Abdul Khalek Mollah and Jotsna Mandi were present. Former Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen, the Trinamool candidate from the Ashoknagar constituency, and councillor Sushanta Ghosh were also seen. Former Asansol Mayor Bidhan Upadhyay and Deputy Mayor Wasimul Haque were also present.

Ritabrata Banerjee released a list of leaders entrusted with district responsibilities to strengthen the organisation. 

Bagnan MLA Arunabha (Raja) Sen has been given charge of rural Howrah, while Shrishtidhar Ghosh has been assigned responsibility for Howrah Sadar. 

Pradeep Sarkar has been given charge of West Midnapore, Rathin Banerjee of Bankura and Ujjwal Kumar of Purulia. Rabindranath Chatterjee has been assigned East Burdwan, while Narendranath Chatterjee will oversee West Burdwan. Subhasish Das has been given charge of Diamond Harbour and Ganesh Mandal of Sundarbans.

Sandipan Saha has been given responsibility for North Kolkata, Debashis Kumar for South Kolkata and Rabindranath Ghosh for Cooch Behar. 

However, it is learnt that no one has been assigned responsibility for the time being in some districts, including East Midnapore and North 24 Parganas. 

The Ritabrata camp has also formed a panel of spokespersons to communicate the party's political message to the public. Prasun Banerjee has been appointed the party's chief spokesperson. The other spokespersons are Sandipan Saha, Akhruzzaman, Kohinoor Majumdar and Sudip Raha.

--IANS

sch/pgh