Thousands of supporters of Trinamul Congress leader Biplab Mitra gathered at Mehendipara under the Harirampur police station on the Malda-South Dinajpur border this evening to welcome the leader, who returned to the district after rejoining the ruling party from the BJP in Kolkata.

A motorcade of at least 100 personal cars followed Mr Mitra’s car from Malda, while his followers stood ready with garlands and fire crackers to welcome Mr Mitra and his brother Prasanta Mitra, who also switched sides to the TMC.

Observers have said that a new political equation has come up in South Dinajpur following the Mitras’ return to the TMC. “Party leaders will hold a meeting in Balurghat on 6 August to discuss on the next strategy,” party sources said.

Political analysts, on the other hand, are apprehending a tough situation for the present TMC president, Goutam Das, as he tries to maintain a “balance of sorts” among the followers of Mitra, who has remained the president of the party in the district earlier.

The state committee is yet to assign Mr Mitra any important post in the party. “He has to wait for a few more days before any post is given to him,” a party source said.

Meanwhile, TMC leaders who are against Mr Mitra’s rejoining and who are on the front lines in protesting the same, are now looking for a “face saver” through different social media postings.

Leaders of Gangarampur like Amalendu Sarkar, Rakesh Pandit and Atanu Sarkar have remained silent on the return of Mr Mitra, who was the chairman of the Gangarampur Municipality, from where he had to resign from the TMC around a year ago.

“Today, I feel free, and it seems to me that I have returned home. I built the organisation of the Trinamul Congress in South Dinajpur. I know the pulse of the district and its people. I will work for the party,” Mr Mitra said after his return.

On the other hand, the district president of the TMC, Goutam Das, is set to form a district committee on 6 August. “This will be very challenging for the new president as he is junior than the three district presidents like Sankar Chakrabarty, Biplab Mitra and Arpita Ghosh. In the new district committee, he has to maintain a fine balance among the three leaders and their followers. Mrs Ghosh has a good number of followers in the district and is in the very good position in the district as she has done well and defeated Biplab Mitra’s challenge earlier,” a political analyst in the district said.

“On 6 August we will sit for discussions on the district committee. All leaders will be there. At first we will form a new district committee then go for the core committee. As I have said before, I will not allow any corrupt leader in the committee,” Mr Das said