Trinamul in East Midnapore’s Nandigram received a shot in the arm on Saturday when most land agitation leaders, who have stood by Mamata Banerjee since 2007, publicly pledged their allegiance to the ruling party at a “preparation meeting” ahead of the chief minister’s January 7 rally.

The rally, which is held annually to coincide with the date of the first three deaths in the Nandigram land agitation on January 7, 2007, is more significant this time after the party’s regional stalwart Suvendu Adhikari defected to the BJP.

Trinamul leaders are planning to mobilise over two lakh supporters at Mamata’s rally, which is likely to see all district leaders by her side with the exception of former block president Meghnad Pal.

Last week district Trinamul leaders appealed to Mamata to rally ground support in Nandigram following Adhikari’s defection. Saturday’s preparation meeting comes two days after Adhikari’s road show in Contai outshone that of Trinamul’s Firhad Hakim and Saugata Roy at the same place in terms of turnout.

Trinamul leaders believe that the January 7 rally would be different.

“Suvenduda’s stand is clear. But what is important is that many leaders who stood by him a month ago have publicly pledged allegiance to Trinamul,” a source added, referring to leaders, including panchayat samiti deputy chief Abu Taher, panchayat samiti executives Sheikh Khusnabi and Swades Das and block-level leader Sudip Khara.

Thirty of 35 leaders, who attended Saturday’s meeting, had skipped Hakim’s rally on November 10. Taher had been spotted with Adhikari at a public meeting that same day.

Asked on his stand now, Taher said: “I have still not resigned from the party and am the panchayat samiti deputy chief. I will work my best to ensure the success of the January 7 rally.”

Leaders at Saturday’s meeting affirmed Mamata’s role in the 2007 agitations and said that Nandigram’s sentiments were with her and no one else. “Our land was saved thanks to her. We can never forget that. It will become clear on January 7,” said zilla parishad deputy chief Sheikh Sufian.

In all these years as Trinamul leader, Adhikari had lit candles at 4am every January 7 in memory of Biswajit Maity, Bharat Mondal and Sheikh Selim gunned down that day in 2007, a source said. “This year Trinamul state president Subrata Bakshi would light the candles,” the source added.

Mamata’s rally will be held at a nearby paddy field at 1pm.

Adhikari will hold a rally to “counter Mamata” on January 8 at the same venue. “People are with us. You will see on January 8,” said a source close to Adhikari.