In A First, Mamata Banerjee-Led West Bengal Govt Declares Ram Navami Holiday

the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government has declared an official gazette holiday on Ram Navami (April 17)

File photo of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

Source : PTI

In a significant announcement ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government has declared an official gazette holiday on Ram Navami (April 17). While Durga Puja, Kali Puja, and Saraswati Puja have always been prominent in Bengal, Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti have also taken on a much broader significance.

In recent years, incidents of violence have been observed in Bengal during Ram Navami, which the BJP has used to corner Mamata Banerjee's government. Violence was also reported during Ram Navami last year.

The BJP has accused the state government of trying to suppress the rights of people to assemble and take out religious processions. 

The announcement also comes as the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is gearing up to inaugurate its Lok Sabha election campaign with a massive rally on Sunday at Kolkata's renowned Brigade Parade Grounds.

TMC to Kick Off Lok Sabha Campaign with Mega Rally in Kolkata

The TMC is gearing up to inaugurate its Lok Sabha election campaign with a massive rally on Sunday at Kolkata's renowned Brigade Parade Grounds. The rally, named 'Jana Garjan Sabha', will serve as a platform for party supremo Mamata Banerjee to energise supporters and establish the agenda for the forthcoming elections.

Mamata Banerjee, along with TMC's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, will be the main speakers at the event.

The overarching theme of the rally will centre around the alleged withholding of the state's financial dues by the central government, a contentious issue that has dominated state politics over the past two years. Anticipation is high, with lakhs of supporters and numerous block-level leaders expected to converge from various districts to hear Mamata Banerjee's address, news agency PTI reported.

"We are organising a rally at Brigade Parade Grounds after a long time. It is going to be a historic event. Our party supremo Mamata Banerjee will give a message which we will take to every nook and corner of West Bengal and ensure the defeat of the BJP in all the 42 Lok Sabha seats of the state," remarked TMC leader Firhad Hakim, as quoted by PTI.

Ahead of the rally, Abhishek Banerjee conducted a personal inspection of the venue on Saturday evening. Party insiders anticipate a massive turnout, ranging from six to eight lakh attendees. This marks the party's first large-scale gathering at Maidan since the January 2019 opposition meeting, where leaders from 19 opposition parties united in a display of solidarity.

Despite its well-established grassroots organisation, the TMC's seat count dropped to 22 from 34 in the 2019 Lok Sabha Election, while the BJP made significant strides by clinching 18 seats in the state.