Her supporters may have held the city to ransom on Tuesday, but Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee made all the right noises at a massiver rally in the heart of the city to remember 13 Youth Congress workers killed in a police firing in 1993.
With an eye on the 2011 Assembly elections, Banerjee tried to shed her anti-industry image post Singur, by taking a stance against bandhs and reiterating her party?s position in favour of industrialisation.
Significantly, after Congress called a bandh last Friday against the violence against partymen in Burdwan, Banerjee categorically warned her partymen not to call for any sudden road-blockades. She said the party?s top rung leadership has to be consulted before giving a call for a bandh. In her speech, Banerjee took a dig at the Congress without naming the party for calling the bandh.
Politically significant was the presence of K Keshav Rao, AICC member in-charge of West Bengal, and Mausam Benajir Nur, the MP from Malda on the dais. Till this year, the state Congress and TMC had been observing martyr?s day separately. This is the first time a national Congress leader was present following Banerjee?s invitation.
In another move to shed her anti-industry image, Banerjee said, ?We want the state to be flooded by developmental activities. We have to keep industry alive in the state to create employment.? Banerjee had echoed a similar note at a railway function two days back.
Addressing the rally, Banerjee said, ?We want more agriculture based industry in the state.?
People began pouring in for the rally from the districts from the morning itself, throwing traffic in a disarray. In a massive show of strength, TMC supporters braved monsoon showers in the afternoon to listen to didi.
She didn’t disappoint her support base, promising them a transparent and non-partisan administration post 2011 as she chalked out a road map to the next assembly elections in the state.