KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee has decided to lead the party's operations in Birbhum district in the absence of the party's arrested leader Anubrata Mondal with the panchayat elections scheduled for next month.

Veteran party leader and Parliament member Sudip Bandyopadhyay said on March 17 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. The Nadia district has been entrusted to Aroop Biswas, who has been managing party affairs in Purba Bardhaman and Darjeeling. Howrah and Hooghly district matters would be handled by Firhad Hakim "After the meeting, Bandyopadhyay told reporters after the meeting.

Malay Ghatak would be in charge of Paschim Bardhaman, Bankura, and Purulia districts, and Tapas Roy will be in charge of the Dakshin Dinajpur district, he continued.

Party sources said, Sabina Yeasmin and senior leader Siddiqullah Chowdhury were tasked with overseeing the districts of Uttar Dinajpur, Malda, and Murshidabad.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has detained party heavyweight Mondal, who is still president of Birbhum, for his alleged participation in cattle smuggling.

The TMC MP responded when asked if the leaders will act as party observers: "The party has not designated anyone as an observer. The party affairs in each of these leaders' assigned districts will be in their hands."

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