Mamata Banerjee sets stage for nephew Abhishek for bigger role in Trinamool Congress

Entrusting Trinamool Congress MP and nephew Abhishek Banerjee with more responsibilities, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee today merged the 'Trinamool Congress Yuva' with the party's youth wing.

"Today in a party meeting, Mamatadi announced that Trinamool Congress Yuva will be merged with Trinamool Youth Congress with Abhishek Banerjee at its helm," a senior Trinamool Congress leader said.

Trinamool Congress Yuva was formed in 2011 with Abhishek, as its all-India president. The Trinamool Youth Congress too existed then.

"Now Trinamool Youth Congress will work for spreading the message of Mamata Banerjee and attracting the youth towards the party," the leader said.

"Abhishek, a first time MP from Diamond Harbour, has successfully campaigned in the last Assembly by-elections from Chowringhee where he addressed a counter rally of BJP president Amit Shah. He also addressed a rally in Delhi yesterday," he said.

"Mamata Banerjee has clearly told us to reach out to the masses on various issues including Saradha scam and inform the people that the state government has returned money to five lakh defrauded investors," he said.

A core committee of six senior party leaders, including party general secretary Mukul Roy, has been formed, which would assist the TMC supremo in party matters, the leader said. He said Mamata also directed state panchayat minister and veteran trade union leader Subrata Mukherjee to oversee the functioning of the party's labour wing.

It was also decided in the meeting that there would be a team of six national spokespersons of the party, which would be jointly headed by Derek O'Brien and Sudip Bandyopadhyay. In another decision, the president of Trinamool Chatra Prasihad, the party's students' wing, Sankudeb Panda was replaced by Ashok Rudra, a youth leader from Burdwan.