The Trinamul Congress in Bankura has asked leaders and elected representatives in the district to donate a part of their monthly income to the party to meet the expenses of a workers’ meeting that Mamata Banerjee will address here on Tuesday.

In the move that some in Trinamul attributed to counsel from poll strategist Prashant Kishor, Mamata’s party is replicating the levy model of the Left in Bengal.

Sources said the decision was taken by the Trinamul’s state leadership to ensure that nobody questions the source of funds for arranging such large meetings.

“We have asked all our elected representatives to donate a part of their monthly earnings for organising the meeting. Each gram panchayat member has promised Rs 500 from his or her monthly remuneration of Rs 1,500. The MLAs will contribute a month’s salary each,” said Shyamal Santra, Trinamul’s district working president.

“I have deposited Rs 1.6 lakh earned as remuneration as an MLA over the past two months,” added Santra, an MLA from Kotulpur and a minister of state.

Mamata is scheduled to address over 50,000 booth-level Trinamul workers at Satighat on the bank of the Gandheswari river.

The Trinamul sources said it had become a practice in the south Bengal districts for senior district leaders to arrange for the funds needed to conduct political programmes, thus making the party vulnerable to Opposition questions on the source of the money and allegations of corruption.