Trinamul’s Birbhum strongman’s arrest in the cattle-smuggling case has had it’s first visible impact — Anubrata Mondal’s picture has been left out of posters put up by the party to welcome pilgrims to Tarapith on the occasion of Kaushiki Amavasya.

Trinamul insiders said the party tactfully avoided the presence of Mondal from the event where lakhs of pilgrims across Bengal visit the place as that could send a negative message.

“The party thought it better to drop Anubrata’s name or picture from the posters in view of his recent arrest. In this way we would avoid criticism from both the people and Opposition parties. This time we stayed away from political campaigns and have put up welcome posters with a photograph of chief minister Mamata Banerjee,” said a senior Trinamul leader.

CBI arrested Anubrata in the cattle-smuggling case on August 11 and is now in jail custody after spending 14 days in the custody of the central agency. Every year huge gates and posters with pictures of Mamata and Mondal welcome pilgrims visiting Tarapith during Kaushiki Amavasya.

“This time we did not erect any such gate for fear of controversy. So, we put up posters on behalf of Tarapith Rampurhat Development Authority (TRDA), which is a government body,” said a leader. Rampurhat MLA and deputy speaker Ashis Banerjee, who is the chairman of TRDA, did not make any comment about the decision.

Sources said Trinamul leadership does not want to use Mondal’s name or picture to promote festivals or cultural events at this moment.

“There is no problem in using his picture and name in protests against biased investigation by the BJP or against price hikes. But there is no need to connect him with the issue right now,” said a senior Trinamul leader.

During every event or festival like Pous Mela and Basanta Utsav in Santiniketan or during Durga Puja, huge campaigns used to be made with pictures of Mondal to wish local people.

“We don’t know what will happen till Durga Puja but right now it is better to avoid his pictures,” said a source. Sources in Calcutta, however, said the party had no plan to immediately disown Mondal as the chief minister had already stood by her side.

As per the party’s decision, a five-member committee comprising MLAs is looking after the party’s day-to-day work. Officially, Anubrata Mondal is the district president of Birbhum till now.

“The national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee would sit with Birbhum leaders very soon. The party has multiple plans to handle the district in the absence of Mondal,” said a Trinamul leader in Calcutta.

At a meeting held on Thursday, East Burdwan district president Rabiranjan Chatterjee was asked to take care of the party’s organisation in three Assembly segments that fall under Bolpur parliamentary constituency and Mondal was in-charge till his arrest.