West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s presence at the Trinamul Congress’ upcoming agitation programme at the Raj Ghat in New Delhi from October 2 has become uncertain as doctors have advised her bed rest for 10 days.
It has been learnt that Banerjee during her recent international trip received minor wounds on the same limb that was injured in June this year while she tried to come down from a helicopter at Sevak Air Base of the Indian Army in North Bengal.
Party insiders said that since following the advice of the doctors for rest or maximum restricted movement for next 10 days, the chief minister’s presence at the Raj Ghat programme has become totally uncertain. “In case of her absence, which is most likely, our national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will lead, supervise and monitor our party programme at Raj Ghat,” they said.
Both the chief minister and the Trinamul national general secretary were supposed to attend the programme on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, followed by a sit-in demonstration demanding immediate clearance of central dues to the West Bengal government.
Political observers feel that the event of probable absence of the chief minister has brought a unique opportunity for Abhishek Banerjee to project himself as the national face of the party without the shadow of Mamata Banerjee before the big battle for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
He has accompanied the chief minister at all the meet- ings of the opposition INDIA bloc.
Mamata Banerjee has also nominated him to represent the party at the coordination committee of the opposition alliance.