Abhishek to target BJP turf in Cooch Behar during rally

The Trinamul Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is scheduled to visit North Bengal in January 2026. Though his visit to the region, including Jalpaiguri, was earlier slated for 3 January, it was postponed due to technical reasons, party sources said.

The Cooch Behar district Trinamul Congress leadership on Wednesday announced that Abhishek Banerjee will visit Cooch Behar on 13 January. District party president Abhijit De Bhowmik said preparations are underway for a massive political rally, which is being seen as the beginning of the party’s campaign for the next Assembly elections.

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According to De Bhowmik, a field at Balarampur under Tufanganj in Cooch Behar district has been finalised for the rally. He said the venue was chosen keeping in mind its size and logistical advantages, adding that the ground is larger than the Raas Mela Ground in Cooch Behar town.

“We are planning to bring around one lakh supporters to attend Abhishek Banerjee’s meeting. Most of them will come from the Natabari and Tufanganj Assembly segments,” De Bhowmik said.

Notably, the rally venue falls in an area covering both Natabari and Tufanganj Assembly constituencies, from where BJP candidates had emerged victorious in the 2021 Assembly elections.

Speaking to reporters, De Bhowmik criticised the sitting MLA from Natabari, alleging that the legislator has remained largely absent. “The MLA is missing—there is practically no trace of his work in the area,” he said.

It may be recalled that Mihir Goswami, once considered close to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had joined the BJP and contested the 2021 Assembly elections from Natabari against then North Bengal Development minister Rabindranath Ghosh. Goswami defeated Ghosh in that election.

Both Goswami and Ghosh were among the prominent leaders during the formative years of the Trinamul Congress, when Mamata Banerjee was struggling to build the party’s organisational base.

Party sources further said that Abhishek Banerjee is also scheduled to visit other districts in North Bengal following his programme in Cooch Behar.