A prominent Citu leader based in Birpara of Alipurduar district walked into Mamata Banerjee’s party here on Friday in the presence of state minister Moloy Ghatak and senior Trinamul leader Gautam Deb.

Robin Rai, who is known as one of the prominent Left trade union leaders in the Dooars tea belt, reached Siliguri with a group of associates and received the Trinamul flag from Ghatak, who had flown into the city from Calcutta this afternoon to induct Rai into the party.

“Robin Rai has led the tea workers’ movement across the tea gardens of north Bengal for years. He has joined our party after realizing the sincerity of chief minister Mamata Banerjee to work for welfare of the tea population. From now on, he will work as a leader of Trinamul Cha Bagan Shramik Union, that is, our tea trade union,” said Ghatak, after welcoming the Citu leader into the party.

Along with Rai, at least 50 other Citu leaders who had been working in different tea estates also joined Trinamul, the party leaders claimed.

The trade union leader echoed Ghatak and said the Mamata and her government have done a lot for the tea workers.

“I have grown up in a tea estate and know about the workers’ rights. We will work in a united manner to ensure that their demands are met and will also put all efforts to consolidate our trade union’s base in the tea gardens of Dooars,” said Rai.

Though two senior party functionaries clarified that Rai’s induction will help the party and its trade union –Trinamul Cha Bagan Sharamik Union – to expand its support base in the Dooars tea belt, questions have been raised by a number of senior leaders over the existence of multiple trade unions of the party in the tea belt.

They mentioned that time and again, this issue has been raised within the party and instructions have come from the highest level that there should be only one tea trade union which would work as an affiliate of Inttuc (Trinamul’s workers’ front).

“Even then, there are at least three-four unions which have been functioning in tea industry and leaders of each of these unions claim to be enjoying the affiliation of Inttuc. This is one of the key reasons that we could not draw majority of the tea workers at us as they are cannot make a decision as which ‘Trinamul’ union they should join,” said a senior party leader based in Jalpaiguri.

He pointed that the rural elections are due next year and to ensure that the party consolidates its base in the tea belt, the party should immediately make a decision on the issue.

Minister Ghatak, when asked about the issue, said they are working on it.

“As per the chief minister’s instructions, there will be only one union in all tea gardens of north Bengal. It will be a common platform of all trade union leaders of our party who are working in the tea belt,” he said.