Congress gears up for rural polls

With Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee kicking off campaign for panchayat elections slated for next year, her alliance partner Congress too jumped into the fray by planning to hold a big event. The party's youth wing, Yuba Congress, will be organising Panchayati Raj sammelan at Nazrul Mancha in Kolkata on September 12.

The leaders, who are expected to address the conference include HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, AICC general secretary Shaquel Ahmed, the top brass of state Congress and all the party MPs elected from the state, apart from Youth Congress president Rajiv Satav.

"We have said already that we are ready to fight alone in the panchayats if the high command tells us to do so. We have got that prowess. The Trinamool Congress is trying to browbeat us, but we are not scared. We will not budge an inch without fighting," said state Congress chief Pradip Bhattacharya.

According to the Congress leaders, the strategy to fight the panchayats and party's future ties with the Trinamool will be discussed threadbare in the conference to be attended by hundreds of delegates from across the state.

"After it, our cadres will fan out in the districts and make preparations for the elections,'' a senior leader said.

ALSO READ

Saradha scam: Debjani Mukherjee denies intimate relation with Sudipta Sen

Chit fund scam: Mamata govt against handing over Saradha probe to CBI

Its credibility at stake, Rose Valley struck KKR deal for brand-building last year

Sachin Tendulkar turns 40 today but his routine remains the same