TMC rally to kickstart panchayat poll campaign

Mamata,said party leaders,will highlight the achievements of one year in office of her government.

The Chief Minister is expected to direct her party cadres to launch a massive campaign highlighting the achievements of the state government amid the rural masses.

Trinamool leaders,however,could not comment on their party chief’s reaction to ally Congress in the wake of recent developments concerning the presidential poll. Some said the CM was expected to intensify her battle against the Centre for ignoring the state’s sustained demand for a moratorium on repayment of debt,yet others felt she would avoid a direct attack at the Congress in order to keep alive the possibility of an alliance in the panchayat poll.

A day before the grand rally to be addressed by Mamata,thousands of Trinamool supporters from various remote districts are camping on the outskirts of Kolkata. A large number have also reached Kolkata and are putting up at various party camps,including the one at the Salt Lake stadium.

At the crack of dawn,the supporters will start marching towards Esplanade throwing the city’s traffic out of gear. City police have advised people to avoid taking Brabourne Road,Lenin Sarani and many other thoroughfares in the periphery of Esplanade east.

Senior Trinamool leaders said they are expecting “at least five to seven lakh people to assemble at the rally”.

The leaders added: “Several state ministers and Trinamool leaders,including Partha Chatterjee and Subrata Buxi,today inspected the spot where the Chief Minister will address the rally. They spoke to senior police officers. Traffic police officers said several restrictions on movement of vehicles are expected to be enforced tomorrow though they will try their best to keep traffic normal.