The Trinamool Congress is setting for itself a headcount target that would shatter all records of attendance at its Martyrs’ Day event at Esplanade here on July 21.

The call for it went out in the form of a letter from the party’s state president Subrata Bakshi in the absence of its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee who is dealing with a health issue.

The annual marquee event of Mamata Banerjee’s party would take place in the wake of the spectacular performance in the general election in which it won 29 of Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha seats — making it the third-largest constituent of the INDIA bloc after the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.

“We aim to have a historic turnout this time, given the momentous occasion…. But, sadly, we are having to put this together in the near-total absence of our shenapoti (general),” said a Trinamool insider referring to Abhishek.

Abhishek, the three-term Diamond Harbour MP, is likely to fly abroad for treatment ahead of the July 21 event.

“It is unclear whether he would be able to attend it, although it is incomplete without him. More so because he has been spearheading the event for years and has led our party from the front along with his aunt every step of the way this time, ensuring our triumph,” said a senior TMC leader.

“In the likelihood of his absence, Bakshida is doing the needful for now. But we mustn’t rule out the possibility of Abhishek’s presence on the dais on July 21,” he added.

“He did talk about a hiatus from party organisation on account of a medical issue, but he has been leading our parliamentary party from the front in Delhi this session, independently, and in the INDIA space,” the leader added.