Trinamul on Saturday started a survey within the party’s district units across Bengal to identify those who owe allegiance to the 49-year-old political heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari, the exercise part of an attempt to ring-fence the party against possible poaching attempts.

Adhikari cut his teeth as a politician in his home district, East Midnapore, but over the years developed his own support base across Bengal. He had, till July 23, been the party’s in-charge in six key districts — Bankura, West Midnapore, Jhargram, Murshidabad, Malda and North Dinajpur.

“Senior party leaders have started the process confidentially. It is no secret that if Suvendu leaves, our organisation will face challenges in several areas if his acolytes follow him,” said a source in the ruling party.

Adhikari has not resigned from Trinamul or announced his next political move, but Trinamul is not taking any chances.

“Right now, only he knows what he will do. But we need to get our own house in order and be ready for possibilities (of his loyalists defecting from the party). We don’t want to lose a single party worker or leader before state polls. But we cannot tolerate saboteurs. That is why we are figuring out who they might be and keeping tabs on them,” said a senior Trinamul leader.

The meetings to single out Adhikari’s followers, mainly those with organisational posts in the party, began in East Midnapore on Friday night.

“At least eight of 13 MLAs from the district may follow Adhikari. Of 52 zilla parishad members, 30-odd could leave with him. There are some block-level leaders as well. We are keeping an eye on them and readying alternatives in such places,” said a senior leader in Tamluk.

“In Hooghly, we have information that three MLAs, two chiefs of panchayat samitis and a dozen block-level leaders are connected with Suvendu. We will wait till they take their final decision, but we are preparing an alternative set-up,” said a party leader.

On Saturday, Trinamul’s Serampore MP Kalyan Banerjee — whose testy ties with Adhikari have been in public eye for some time — was in Hooghly’s Khanakul to address a party rally, where he gave an indication of Trinamul’s mindset.

Seniors in the party said “Kalighat” — Mamata and her nephew Abhishek’s residential area — was in no mood to go easy on the rebels that follow Adhikari, should he leave the party.

Additional reporting by Alamgir Hossain