KOLKATA: Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday started a mass outreach campaign of the ruling party in West Bengal from Cooch Behar district, with an eye on the upcoming rural polls in the state.
Banerjee, who is TMC's national general secretary, commenced the campaign, 'Trinamool ey Nabajowar' (new wave in Trinamool), by offering puja at Madhaikhal Kali Mandir in the Dinhata assembly constituency.
He spoke to locals and heard of their grievances.
"He offered puja at the temple and then met villagers, who spoke about their grievances. He told them that their problems would be resolved soon. Abhishek also assured them that if the Centre doesn't clear dues under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the state will build houses for the poor people," a TMC leader said.
Abhishek, who is the nephew of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and considered the party's number two leader, will travel around 3,500 km during the two-month outreach campaign and hold more than 250 rallies across the state.
The TMC MP had earlier said that the outreach campaign aims at reaching out to the people and empowering them to decide on party candidates for the ensuing panchayat polls through secret ballots.
During the day, he will address three back-to-back rallies in Dinhata, Sitai and Sitalkuchi assembly constituencies.
Later in the evening, Banerjee will participate in a convention and 'Gram Banglar Motamot (Opinion of rural Bengal) event, where locals will choose TMC candidates for the rural polls through secret ballots.