Days before West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is to visit Goa and hold meetings there ahead of the assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress on Friday appointed Luizinho Faleiro as its vice-president.
“Our Honorable President Smt. @MamataOfficial takes great pride in appointing Shri @luizinhofaleiro as National Vice President of All India Trinamool Congress,” said a notification signed by Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The Trinamool Congress president is likely to visit Goa on October 28. Several Trinamool Congress leaders are doing the groundwork in the state with the firm of election strategist Prashant Kishor.
The Trinamool Congress plans to contest all 40 assembly seats in Goa when the coastal state goes to polls in 2022.
The Trinamool Congress president’s visit to Goa as well as handing over an important party post to Mr. Faleiro is significant as Ms. Banerjee has not visited any state except the national capital in the last few years.
After joining the Trinamool Congress last month, Luizinho Faleiro has brought in several Congress leaders into the party. The election slogan of the Trinamool Congress for the Goa Assembly elections is “Goenchi Navi Sakal”, which translates to a new dawn for Goa.
Goa and Tripura are the two states that the Trinamool Congress is eyeing to move ahead of West Bengal. As elections in Tripura are scheduled for 2023, the Trinamool Congress is intensifying its efforts for Goa.
Before leaving for Goa, Ms. Banerjee will visit the districts of North Bengal on October 24. This will be his first visit to North Bengal after securing power in the state in May 2021. Some areas of North Bengal, especially Darjeeling district, have been affected. Heavy rains cause landslides. The BJP, which emerged as the main opposition party after the assembly elections, has a significant presence in North Bengal and Ms. Banerjee’s visit has more than administrative significance.