Mamata Banerjee takes over TMC's Birbhum organisation

TMC's Birbhum party president Anubrata Mondal is still in ED custody for his alleged involvement in the cow-smuggling case

With the panchayat elections due in a month's time, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has decided to take charge of the party's affairs in Birbhum district in the absence of arrested leader Anubrata Mondal, a senior member of the party said.

Senior party leader and MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said on Friday that the decision was taken during the party's meeting at Banerjee's Kalighat residence.

"Our party chief will be looking after the party affairs in Birbhum district. Aroop Biswas, who has been looking after party affairs in Purba Bardhaman and Darjeeling has been asked to take care of Nadia district. Firhad Hakim will look after affairs in Howrah and Hooghly districts," Bandyopadhyay told reporters after the meeting.

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Malay Ghatak will look after the districts of Bankura, Purulia and Paschim Bardhaman while Tapas Roy would be the custodian of Dakshin Dinajpur district, he added.

Party sources said that senior leader Siddiqullah Chowdhury, besides Sabina Yeasmin was asked to look after the districts of Uttar Dinajpur, Malda and Murshidabad districts.

Party strongman Mondal, who is still the Birbhum president, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his alleged involvement in cattle smuggling.

Asked whether the leaders will be working as party observers, the TMC MP said, "No one has been named as an observer by the party. Each of these leaders will look after the party affairs in the districts that have been allotted to them."