Trinamul Congress leaders are pumping in full effort to make the Martyrs’ Day rally on 21 July a grand success.
The police had opened fire to kill youth Congress supporters, who had assembled under Mamata Banerjee, then a youth Congress president, demanding introduction of voters’ identity cards mandatory for elections.
After Miss Banerjee formed Trinamul Congress on January 1, 1998, the day has been observed as Martyrs’ Day and the meeting is held opposite the CESC building in Esplanade.
Trinamul Congress leaders are working hard to make the meeting a success. Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of the party is not likely to be present at the meeting on health grounds.
Party veteran Dr Manas Bhuniya, water resources investigation and development minister has held several rounds of meetings in West Midnapore. The meetings were attended by senior party leaders and workers. Dr Bhuniya urged party workers to be present at the meeting in Kolkata.
Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, state agriculture minister, has held meetings in his constituency in Khardah in North 24-Parganas. He will again hold a meeting with party leaders on Saturday.
Senior party leaders said party workers from the districts of north Bengal will come to the city and will be put up at the Central Park in Salt Lake, Rajdanga stadium and other places. Rallies from Howrah and Sealdah stations and north and south Kolkata will start on 21 July and converge at the venue.
State Trinamul Congress president Subrata Bakshi is overseeing the arrangements. Senior party leaders Firhad Hakim, Indranil Sen, Aroop Biswas will look after the hospitality of the workers.
Senior party leaders and senior officials of city police inspected the venue where the construction of the podium will start from next week. A graded path will be created for smooth transportation of the leaders including Miss Banerjee.
Miss Banerjee will be the key speaker at the meeting. The party workers are waiting anxiously to listen to her. In 2025 the civic elections will be held followed by the Assembly poll in 2026. Trinamul will intensify to build contacts with people. In many areas particularly in Kolkata the party did not do well in the recently held Lok Sabha election and the party will try utmost to repair the dent.
All the MLAs, MPs, district presidents, councillors will be present at the meeting. Members of the family of the martyrs will be invited to join.