The BJP and Trinamul have lined up two backto-back meetings in north Bengal in the next couple of days, heating up the political temperature with an eye on the panchayat elections.

On Friday, Suvendu Adhikari, leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, will be in Alipurduar. On Saturday, Trinamul’s all-India general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will be in Cooch Behar’s Mathabhanga.

Adhikari’s visit comes shortly after Suman Kanjilal, the local BJP MLA, walked into the Trinamul camp.

“It is evident that the BJP is keen to control damage.... In north Bengal, BJP saw three of its MLAs walking into Mamata Banerjee’s party and the party lost a bypoll (Dinhata),” said a political observer.

Hence, the BJP, which won 30 Assembly seats in north Bengal in 2021, has 26 now. Trinamul, which won 23 seats in the region, now has 27 MLAs.

“Suman Kanjilal’s departure is a fresh dampener. Before this, BJP leaders would gloat that Trinamul doesn’t have any MLA or MP in Alipurduar,” the observer added.

According to BJP functionaries, it is necessary to intensify political activities now to tell grassroots workers not to be perturbed.

“We will hold a 3km rally and public meeting on Friday. We believe Adhikari will give specific instructions to workers on how to retain our support base,” said a BJP leader.

Over the past months, Trinamul is playing the development card and simultaneously asking people what the BJP MPs and MLAs have done for them.

“We are telling people that the BJP is playing the divisive card. Yesterday (Wednesday), Trinamul leaders of the region jointly demanded that the BJP clarify within 48 hours if they support the call for statehood,” said a Trinamul leader in Siliguri.

Trinamul’s national general secretary Abhishek is expected to tell party workers how to prepare for panchayat polls. A Trinamul leader in Cooch Behar said they expect Abhishek to clearly ask for an end to factional feuds in the party for a united show of strength before the rural polls.