Kolkata: Politically, however, all parties are preparing hard around the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Amidst this backdrop, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is going to organise an important booth-level workers conference on Thursday. meeting party chief Mamata Banerjee will be handing out meat with grassroots workers. It will be held in Netaji Indoor Stadium.
Workers set up for the event at the venue on Wednesday. her nephew Abhishek Banerjee was conspicuously absent from the poster, raising political eyebrows. TMC, and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee had been conspicuously absent from the poster, which has raised political eyebrows. His name is absent from the banner, leading to speculation about intra-party tensions.
We have seen this before. Only the face of Mamata Banerjee appeared on banners on the stage at the indoor rally in 2023 and again on 21 July 2024. Even earlier times TMC has fought the elections under Mamata, winning a number of them.
There has also been speculation following a recent controversy within the party. featuring the All India Trinamool Congress banners. The office had sent out a calendar to district presidents, which had banners of All India Trinamool Congress. Her photo is alongside Abhishek Banerjee’s photo, which is also bigger than her image. Party state leadership then withdrew the calendar after internal discussions and replaced it.
However, as the party prepares for the major TMC rally in 2025, the absence of Abhishek Banerjee from the main poster for the event has once again opened up debate about his status in the party.
Acknowledging that Abhishek has been relatively less involved in the day-to-day political affairs of the party, another leader said he has been busy writing a book on the present organisational structure of TMC, which he has titled Durutwa. He has also been associated with a project called ‘Sevashray’ in his Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency. Over the last few months, there have been speculations of differences between Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek, but neither has confirmed these reports.
Mamata Banerjee has constantly claimed that she calls the shots not just in government but also in party matters. She has also declared her intention to lead the party for a decade.
The conference at the Netaji Indoor Stadium will draw the TMC’s road to the assembly elections. Party outfit senior leaders feel Mamata Banerjee may issue directions regarding the changes in the voters list and how to enrol the voters. Yet, the all-important question is whether Abhishek Banerjee will join the meet.
TMC has not commented on the former MP’s participation, but sources close to Abhishek have said that there is a “very high likelihood” that he will be attending. However, Mamata’s decision to display only her picture on the poster of the conference indicates that the battle of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections will again also take place under the leadership of Mamata.