The Assam unit of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Friday declared that it would continue to stand firmly behind party supremo Mamata Banerjee irrespective of any verdict delivered by a court in West Bengal.
The decision was taken unanimously at a meeting of state leaders and district-level workers held at the party’s state headquarters in Guwahati. Nearly 90 per cent of the candidates who had contested the last Assam Assembly elections attended the meeting.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Assam TMC’s lone MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed said the people of Assam identified the Trinamool Congress with Mamata Banerjee alone.
“People in Assam know only Mamata Banerjee. They voted for the Trinamool Congress because of their faith in her leadership. We do not recognise any other leader. Today’s meeting has unanimously resolved that wherever Mamata Banerjee stands, the Assam Trinamool Congress will stand with her,” he said.
The meeting also decided to initiate disciplinary action against a few leaders for alleged anti-party activities.
Sherman said the Assam state committee was dissolved on June 3, but its members have remained united. He added that the party has entrusted him with the responsibility of acting state president.
He said he would travel to Kolkata on Saturday to meet Mamata Banerjee personally and convey the Assam unit’s support.
Expressing confidence about the party’s future, Sherman said he would assure the TMC chief that the party would win at least one Lok Sabha seat in 2029 and secure between 20 and 30 Assembly seats in the next Assam Assembly elections.
Reacting to the exit of several Trinamool leaders in West Bengal, Sherman claimed that none of them had won elections solely on their personal popularity.
“People voted for Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool symbol. Those leaving the party are doing so either because of monetary inducements or out of fear of central agencies like the ED and the CBI. We are confident that Mamata Banerjee will make a strong comeback in 2029,” he said.
He further claimed that while some public dissatisfaction may have emerged after the party’s 15 years in power, the BJP’s “authoritarian face” was becoming increasingly evident and that public opinion was gradually turning against the party. He asserted that if elections were held now, Mamata Banerjee would return to power with a two-thirds majority.
Sherman also maintained that senior party leader Dulu Ahmed continued to stand firmly with Mamata Banerjee, while alleging that Sushmita had left the party either out of political ambition or fear.
Speaking about the party’s organisational plans, he said consultations would be held with the central leadership to strengthen the organisation across Assam, from Dhubri to the Barak Valley.
Criticising the BJP-led Assam government, Sherman alleged that projects such as the proposed “Purple City” initiative were being used to divert public attention from pressing issues.
“There are 7.8 million unemployed people in the state. People want jobs, relief from rising prices and land rights. The BJP is misleading the people,” he alleged.
On the debate surrounding the “Miya” and “non-Miya” identities among Muslims in Assam, Sherman said attempts to create divisions were being made by “a handful of mischievous people.”
“We are all one. We are all Assamese,” he said.
