Coinciding with the 25th anniversary of its students’ wing Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) on August 28, the West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress is likely to fix 25 years as the upper age limit to remain associated with the students’ body.

Once a student leader attains the age of 25, he or she will have the chance to get enrolled with the youth wing of the party, Trinamool Youth Congress. The decision is being taken as currently the average age of the student leaders in the party is 30 or above, which is becoming a deterrent for younger faces to come in leadership positions.

It has also come to the leadership’s notice that some leaders with the motive of remaining in the student wing leadership had been skipping examinations year after year. “The party leadership wants to check on all these things and hence is considering fixing 25 years as the upper age limit to remain associated with TMCP,” said a senior leader of the party.

Attempts will also be made to free the students’ unions in different educational institutions from the influence of the local leaders, councillors and party MLAs.

According to calculations made by the party leadership, generally a student completes his or her post- graduation at maximum by 25 years of age and hence going by that logic the upper age limit to remain associated with this party’s student wing should not be more than 25 years.

Indirectly admitting that such developments are in the offing, TMCP’s state president in West Bengal, Trinankur Bhattacharya said that they will be organising a massive rally on August 29, 2022 and whatever announcement giving directions to the students will be made the party supremo and the West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee on that day.

“Our anniversary date is on August 28. But since it is falling on a Sunday, we will be organising the rally on August 29. The chief minister will address the rally and make the necessary announcements. She is also expected to set the tone for the students in view of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” Bhattacharya said.

He also said that because of the pandemic situation, the anniversary rally could not be organised for the last two years. “So, this time, our target is to gift the chief minister a record turnout,” he said.