The Trinamul’s so-called face in Goa Luizinho Faleiro, the former chief minister of the west coast state, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Bengal on Saturday.

“We are extremely pleased to nominate Luizinho Faleiro to the Upper House of Parliament. We are confident that his efforts towards serving the nation shall be appreciated widely by our people,” tweeted the party from its official Twitter handle to make the announcement, which has surprised and even displeased a section of the party.

The move comes months before Goa goes to polls in February and the Trinamul has made much effort to get itself counted as a serious player in the state, against both the ruling BJP and the main Opposition Congress, which was rendered weak with a string of defections despite winning the most number of seats in 2017.

Faleiro, a former chief minister and seven-times legislator, was Trinamul’s prized acquisition from the Congress in the run-up to the February polls. Bengal chief minister and Trinamul chairperson Mamata Banerjee spent a few days in Goa last month trying to woo other smaller parties in the state, but her efforts were largely snubbed. Trinamul did manage to sign in actor Nafisa Ali and Tennis ace Leander Paes into the party. Last, Paes was seen playing football with youngsters in Goa.

“How is a leader representing Bengal in the Rajya Sabha supposed to cater to his home state some 2,146 km away?” asked a Trinamul leader. “Is he no longer being projected as the CM face? Does it mean we have announced ourselves out of the Goa race?”

Faleiro is expected to file his nomination in Calcutta on Tuesday for the Rajya Sabha seat which fell vacant after the resignation of former MP and theatre personality Arpita Ghosh. The Rs 2 crore MP local area development fund that Faleiro will be entitled to would have to be spent in Bengal, from where he is nominated. He will be allowed only to recommend work in his home state or provide financial assistance in case of a natural disaster.

With the brute strength that the Trinamul enjoys in the Bengal Assembly, Faleiro’s path to the Upper House will be smoothest, but for the Trinamul the remainder of the journey may not be a cosy one.

Trinamul insiders said ever since her return from Goa, Mamata had not taken any calls from the former chief minister. Mamata was apparently unhappy to have returned from Goa without getting to stitch any alliance with other local parties, which would have bolstered her chances for a non-BJP, non-Congress national front.

“She feels Faleiro did not put in enough effort in getting like-minded parties together. The Rajya Sabha post is not a reward. It will help us keep our strength in the Upper House and maybe save future embarrassment,” a Trinamul leader said.

Even the BJP chose to be caustic. " 'Banglar Meye' is squandering the Rajya Sabha seats from WB on 'Bahiragotos'. After @SushmitaDevAITC now its @luizinhofaleiro. Shouldn't Bengalis react to this deprivation? Why should Bengal pay if these people have no chance of getting elected on TMC tickets in Assam & Goa?" tweeted Suvendu Adhikary, leader of Opposition.

Barely two months ago, another former Congress leader, Sushmita Dev, had joined the Trinamul and was promptly sent to the Upper House from Bengal.

Daughter of the late Congress leader Santosh Mohan Dev, who has the distinction of being a Lok Sabha member from two different states, Assam and Tripura, Sushmita’s inclusion was expected to bolster the Trinamul’s chances in the state as a face against Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb.

For the November 25 elections to the 20 urban local bodies in the state, the party could field candidates in only 120 seats, even lower than the CPM’s 206 seats. The BJP has already won 112 of the 334 seats uncontested, giving it a free run in seven municipal councils.

Trinamul has sent its MLAs from Shamsergunj, Champdani, Labhpur, South Burdwan and some other organisational leaders from Bengal to oversee the party’s poll process.

“If with a leader who has been active in national politics, we still cannot get candidates for all the seats, what is the point in bringing leaders from other parties?” asked a Trinamul MP.