Birbhum district Trinamul Congress chief Anubrata Mondal on Friday evening returned to his district after one-and-a-half months, bringing relief to party workers who had been left rudderless during his absence.

Mondal had left Birbhum earlier last month following summons of the CBI for interrogation in connection with a cattle smuggling case. However, he was admitted to a hospital in Calcutta with several health hazards. After a long hide-and-seek with the central agency, Mondal finally faced a three-and-a-half-hour-long interrogation at the CBI office in Calcutta on Thursday.

Trinamul leaders said after Mondal had come out of the CBI office, it became obvious that he would return home on Friday as it was important to rejuvenate the organisation in the party’s stronghold of Birbhum.

“Absence of Kestoda (as Mondal is fondly called) had become a challenge for us to keep the organisation intact. Many leaders anticipated that he would not return to the district and names of a new person to head the district were doing the rounds. It is a huge relief as we hope to galvanise the party in the district under his active leadership before panchayat polls next year,” said a senior Trinamul leader.

The leader said the organisation in the district had been under stress since the Bogtui carnage in near Rampurhat and the absence of Mondal had compounded matters.

Every year, Mondal conducts party meetings in each of 167 gram panchayats in Birbhum and thousands of workers, including women, used to be present. He takes feedback on organisation issues at the sessions. In the 2018 panchayat polls, 80 per cent of rural bodies were won uncontested by Trinamul.

Similar meetings started in the district last week under the leadership of Trinamul’s Bolpur MLA Chandranath Sinha but the lack of participation of party workers was significant.

“Anyone who attended such a political meeting under the leadership of Kestoda and the same this year can spot the disparities easily. The gathering of party workers was visibly thin and many active party workers did not participate in the meeting because of his absence. He will not attend those meetings for his health this year, but we think the situation will be better,” said a senior Trinamul leader.

The CBI had been repeatedly summoning Mondal in the alleged cattle smuggling case and in connection with a murder related to post-poll violence. Mondal had skirted interrogations at least eight times in the past three months seeking refuge in courts and sometimes on the ground of ill-health.

Mondal’s return is not only critical for Trinamul in Birbhum but also in the adjacent parts of East Burdwan. During Assembly polls last year, he extensively travelled to several south Bengal districts to campaign for the party. Out of the 14 Assembly seats under Mondal’s organisational jurisdiction, Trinamul bagged 13 seats in the 2021 polls.

During his around two-minute address to his followers, who had gathered in front of his Bolpur house on Friday evening, Mondal tried his best to boost their morale.

“I am alive so far, I have not died… by the grace of the God, I have returned here after a long time. I know you all love both me and Mamata Banerjee. I will request you not to be part of any irregularities and be involved in the development of people,” Mondal said after being welcomed to a shower of flower petals by around 3,000 followers.

“I am well but I have to take rest now,” he added.

Trinamul leaders said a large number of party leaders were in a dilemma whether he would return as many started speculating he could be arrested by the central agency. Another section was also worried about his health.

“We were trying to find out who is the second face after Mondal whom we could follow. No leaders from the district failed to satisfy the party workers. We were really relieved after Kestoda returned. It is really a relief for the party here,” said a close aide to Mondal.

The aide, however, added that though Mondal’s followers were happy with his homecoming, they were worried what would evolve after the CBI interrogated him one more in the coming week.