West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to inaugurate Durgapujas from Sept 19, cancels leaves of ministers

KOLKATA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will be busy inaugurating Durgapujas from September 19 (Mahayala). Request letters from different clubs and puja organisers have already started reaching her office at Nabanna, as well as at her Kalighat residence. The chief minister is also receiving phone calls from her close associates who are organising Durgapujas at their localities.

It is learnt that the chief minister will inaugurate two key pujas in the city---one at Chetla and the other at Jodhopur Park on September 19. In fact, she will be busy from that day to visit several pujas to inaugurate those. Last year too, Mamata had inaugurated at least 100 pujas.

It is also learnt that the chief minister has also received huge number of requests from several puja committees in the districts who wanted her to inaugurate their pujas. But the chief minister is not supposed to travel districts far from Kolkata to inaugurate pujas.


Sources at the state administrative headquarters at Nabanna informed that the chief minister has cancelled puja vacations for all her ministers except that of Partha Chatterjee and assigned them to be with the people during the entire festive session. Chatterjee, state education minister and secretary general of the ruling Trinamool Congress has manged to get leave for a few days to visit Rome along with his daughter.

"Partha Da has lost his wife a few weeks back and Didi (read Mamata Banerjee) has granted him leave during the pujas. He is the only minister who will be out of Kolkata during the Pujas," said a senior Trinamool Congress leader and a minister.

The opposition parties like the CPIM and BJP too, have prepared themselves to strengthen ties with the people during the festive session. "We are not going to hold any sort of agitation, rallies and other form of movement during the Puja days. We will set up book stalls in front of all key pujas in the city to sell Marxist literature," said a senior CPIM leader.

The BJP will also go for similar moves and open book stalls in front of key pujas in the city.