TMC revamps Bengal unit, Abhishek retained national gen secy

The Trinamul Congress (TMC) on Friday announced a major organisational overhaul at its national working committee meeting held at the party headquarters in Kalighat, appointing senior minister Chandrima Bhattacharya as the new president of the West Bengal Pradesh Trinamul Congress.

The restructuring, described by party leaders as the first phase of a broader reorganisation exercise, saw several key appointments across the party’s state and frontal organisations ahead of future political challenges in West Bengal.

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Announcing the decisions taken at the meeting, the party said veteran leader Subrata Bakshi would continue as a vice-president in the national working committee, while Rajya Sabha MPs Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen have been appointed national joint secretaries. They will assist the party’s national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee. As part of the reconstituted state committee, Sajda Ahmed, Mamata Thakur, Nayana Bandyopadhyay and Swati Khandekar have been appointed vice-presidents of the West Bengal Pradesh Trinamul Congress.

The party also named a new team of state general secretaries. Babar Ali, Pulak Roy, Ashima Patra, Aroop Biswas and Rajib Banerjee have been entrusted with the responsibility of strengthening the organisation at the grassroots level. A number of senior leaders have been included as executive members of the state unit. The list includes Jyotipriyo Mullick, Dr Rana Chatterjee, Bidesh Bose, Trinankur Bhattacharjee, Jaya Dutta, Tapas Chatterjee, Vasundhara Goswamy and Goutam Deb.

The meeting also finalised appointments to various frontal organisations. Saayoni Ghosh will continue as president of the Trinamul Youth Congress, while Madhurima Thakur has been named its general secretary. In the women’s wing, Lok Sabha MP Mala Roy has been appointed president. Priyanka Adhikary will head the Trinamul Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), while former Labour Minister Moloy Ghatak has been named president of the Indian National Trinamul Trade Union Congress (INTTUC).

Senior leader Madan Mitra has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the party’s Hawkers and Government of India employees’ cell. Becharam Manna will head the farmers’ wing, while Purnendu Bose has been appointed president of the khet mazdoor organisation. Birbaha Hansda will lead the party’s Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe cell. The party also retained its existing panel of spokespersons, comprising Chandrima Bhattacharya, Kalyan Banerjee, Madan Mitra and Kunal Ghosh. Subhasish Chakraborty has been appointed treasurer.

MPs like Mahua Moitra, Sushmita Dev, Mukul Sangma and Rajesh Tripathi virtually joined the meeting. Party sources said the reconstitution process is not yet complete and additional names are expected to be announced in the coming days.