Trinamul Congress leader Sheikh Kajal, who was known to be opposed to the party’s Birbhum strongman Anubrata Mondal, was sworn in as the sabhadhipati (chief) of the Birbhum zilla parishad on Wednesday, 370 days after the latter’s arrest by the CBI.

A source in Trinamul said Kajal’s ascent to the helm of the highest rural body in the district assumed significance. It signals that he will steer the party in its contest against the BJP in Birbhum in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

“Birbhum and Keshto (as Mondal was called fondly by his supporters) had been synonymous with Trinamul for over 14 years. That is why the party could not replace him as Birbhum president even after a year of his arrest. Appointing Kajal as the head of the zilla parishad, replacing Keshto’s close aide Bikash Roy Chowdhury, was a bold step. It does appear to be the beginning of the end for the Keshto era in Birbhum,” he said.

Mondal was arrested on August 11 last year for his alleged involvement in a multi-crore cattle-rustling “scam”. He is currently incarcerated in Delhi’s Tihar jail.

Trinamul won 51 of 52 Birbhum zilla parishad seats in the July 8 rural polls. Kajal won from a constituency in Nanoor with a margin of 45,000-plus votes, considered huge for a zilla parishad seat.

The Trinamul sweep in the Zilla Parishad, however, doesn’t capture the reality of Birbhum, where the BJP has been growing in strength in the past few years. In the recent panchayat polls, the BJP bagged 9 per cent of the gram panchayat seats. In Panchayat samiti, the BJP got 10 per cent of the seats.

Although Kajal has had his differences with Mondal, his brand of politics, multiple sources said, has been very similar to that of the former president, who was known as the strongman of Birbhum till his arrest.

“Birbhum is a very important district for us and Didi wanted a strong man to helm it as the Lok Sabha elections are approaching.... She thinks Kajal can emulate Mondal’s performance,” said a source.

Delivering on Mamata Banerjee’s mandate, however, will be easier said than done for Kajal as most Trinamul leaders in the district are unhappy with his appointment as the chief of the zilla parishad.

The other challenge for Kajal will be his relative inexperience in running the affairs of zilla parishad.

“The people around him are not competent to offer him the right advice. Unless he takes the help of experts, it will be difficult for him to run the show,”said a source.

Kajal, who had earlier spoken against several party leaders in the district, was restrained on Wednesday as he told The Telegraph that the party would approach the polls as a team.

“I lost my father and two brothers in the battle against the CPM in the early 2000s. I am really happy that Didi (Mamata Banerjee) gave me the chance to serve the people. My first job will be to take care of the development of people and bring young faces into the organisation,” said Kajal.

Kajal, brother of Trinamul’s Ketugram MLA Sekh Sahanawaz, was always on the sidelines till Mondal’s arrest. Even after several rounds of mediation in the past by senior party leaders in Calcutta, the gap between Mondal and Kajal remained unbridgeable.

Sources said after Mondal’s arrest, Kajal emerged as a significant leader, especially in Nanoor, which is deemed his bastion. He rose as a name in Birbhum politics after the chief minister included him in the core committee, formed to run the party affairs in the absence of Mondal, in January.

“He became popular even with a group of leaders who were Keshtoda’s sworn allies. After the party sent his name as the chief of the zilla parishad, it was clear that he is now the most powerful leader in the district,” said a senior Trinamul leader.

Sources said there was an undercurrent, especially within the Mondal lobby, and a set of leaders approached their bosses in Calcutta to have Roy Chowdhury reappointed.

“Following strict instructions from the party, Kajal was unanimously accepted as the sabhadhipati,” said a Trinamul leader in Calcutta. Roy Chowdhury was the first to greet Kajal with a bouquet.

Kajal talked about moving on from past differences.

“Keshtoda is my leader, too, and I was introduced to politics by him. He has been framed and he is in prison now. He will take charge of the party affairs once he returns,” said Kajal.

“I want help and guidance from all senior leaders of the district, including Bikashda (Roy Chowdhury),” he added.

A source in Trinamul said the process to select a leader from Birbhum as the party’s president to replace Mondal has been initiated.

“Although Didi takes care of party affairs in Birbhum personally, the organisation in the district is in a state of disarray. There is a need for the party to appoint a district president before the general election,” he said.