With a major focus on Panchayat polls, Trinamool Congress will be undertaking a state-wide two-month long programme, with party National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee spearheading marathon political activity, including a people’s outreach programme.

Abhishek Banerjee will travel to all the districts, from North to South in the next two months, starting from April 25. “As a part of this massive people’s connect programme, common people will be deciding Trinamool candidates for the panchayat polls through secret ballot,” Abhishek Banerjee said.

The most significant part of the programme is that people of the state, through a number, and a website and also through secret ballot will put the names of their candidates in the area, who can be fielded in the coming Panchayat polls. Trinamool Congress leadership intends to cleanse the Panchayat system and create a new model where people’s candidates can be selected.

“The programme will start from Coochbehar’s Dinhata. I will cover all 3000 plus Panchayat areas, if poll dates are not announced,” Banerjee said. Trinamool intends to strengthen its foothold in districts of North Bengal, starting the programme from Coochbehar, then moving to Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, South and North Dinajpur.

Trinamool leadership, led by Abhishek Banerjee, has decided to embark on a two-month long political programme, named ‘Trinamooley Nabajowar’ (new wave in Trinamool). The ‘Naboj’war’ campaign and Yatra will start from Coochbehar and likely to end in Kakdwip.

He will stay at the grassroot level, meet the party workers in various Panchayat area, hold at least four small public rallies, address worker’s and discuss Panchayat strategies with booth Presidents, reach to the people at grassroot level, understanding their grievances, and also talk to “Anchal” (area) Presidents, youth and women wing workers and booth-level.

“The main aim of this campaign is to form a people’s panchayat. I have reiterated in various public meetings that panchayat polls will be conducted in a democratic, free, fair, and peaceful manner. With this campaign on April 25, we are going a step further and taking people’s opinions into account while selecting the candidates which is first of its kind in India,” Banerjee claimed.The programme will include a gamut of activities- a bus yatra through a cluster of Panchayats, three to four block-level public meetings, district-level party meets and in the evening, in a camp, Abhishek Banerjee will meet 3000 people, including Panchayat level party leaders starting from booth presidents to district President-Zilla Parishad members, Panchayat Samiti members and Gram Panchayat members, and intellectuals of the area will vote through a secret ballot, naming the suitable candidates. After a community dinner, Banerjee will spend the night or two at the camp and then move ahead for the next district, people in the know told ET.

“There are over 60,000 rural booths across the State. People will decide who will be their candidates in these booths. If somebody is unable to attend the meeting or public programmes due to the prevailing weather conditions, they can submit their suggestions on this online platform,” he added.

Banerjee will continue to spend the nights at camps in various districts after day-long programmes in various states.