Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday reconstituted the Trinamul Congress’s’ organisational core committee in Birbhum to oversee the party’s state of affairs for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in the district.

Zilla sabhadhipati Sheikh Kajal, who emerged as the party’s new strongman in the absence of Anubrata Mondal after his arrest by the CBI for his alleged connection in cattle smuggling, was removed from the committee.

A source said Mamata’s decision which was taken in a closed-door meeting with Birbhum Trinamul leaders at her Kalighat residence on Tuesday evening, assumed significance as the chief minister kept her faith in the team of her trusted strongman to ensure victory in the district’s two Lok Sabha seats — Birbhum and Bolpur.

“Clipping the wings of Sheikh Kajal and reconstructing the core committee with Anubrata’s men is a clear indication from Didi that her trust is still now in her old guard. She said that no one leader of the team should be removed from their organisational post, after expressing her dissatisfaction over Sheikh Kajal for some of his activities,” said a senior Trinamul leader who was present in the meeting.

Birbhum MP Satabdi Roy, when asked about the removal of Sheikh Kajal from the core committee, said: “Only Mamata Banerjee can say about this. I can’t comment.”

The five members of the core committee are minister and Bolpur MLA Chandranath Sinha, Labhpur MLA Abhijit Sinha, deputy speaker and Rampurhat MLA Asish Banerjee, Suri MLA Bikash Roy Chowdhury and Trinamul leader Sudipta Ghosh.

Mamata scolded Kajal in the closed-door meeting by mentioning an incident where he had left a meeting called by Birbhum district magistrate Bidhan Ray on Santiniketan Pous Mela over his displeasure with the seating arrangement.

“How dare you? Why did you come out from a meeting called by the district magistrate? I warn you (Kajal) to be careful,” a leader quoted Mamata as saying.

MP Abhishek Banerjee didn't attend the meeting.