Core committee members of the Trinamul Congress in East Midnapore will “monitor and scrutinise” the attendance and patterns of rural and district-level leaders at Mamata Banerjee’s “mega” rally in Nandigram’s Tekhali on Monday.

The scrutiny has been planned in the midst of lingering uncertainty over who moved to the BJP with the defection of East Midnapore strongman Suvendu Adhikari.

The East Midnapore district Trinamul leaders had appealed to the chief minister to hold the rally in the aftermath of Adhikari’s switch, when they had feared an en masse defection of local functionaries.

Trinamul state president Subrata Bakshi and minister of state Indranil Sen have been monitoring the setting-up of three adjacent stages for the rally, which has a target turnout of over two lakh.

Other senior Trinamul leaders, such as ministers Firhad Hakim and Purnendu Bose and Rajya Sabha member Dola Sen, would also address the gathering.

“This rally was rescheduled twice and Suvendu has been publicly mocking us over the delay, accusing us of fear and whatnot. We have a point to prove to him,” said a senior minister.

Mamata’s Monday rally will be her first visit to Nandigram after December 2015, when ironically, her arrival had been made to name then Trinamul MP from Tamluk, Adhikari, as her nominee from the Nandigram Assembly seat for the 2016 polls.

“Her comments, direct or indirect, on the Suvendu front are keenly awaited,” said a source.

“Didi is most likely to not only lambaste the likes of Suvendu for their political opportunism but also seize total ownership of the historic anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram. She would also underscore how the party remains unaffected by such desertions,” said a Trinamul MP.

Sources said over 1,000 delegates, including state, district and rural-level leaders, had been invited to the event and were “expected to attend” it.

“Following Suvendu’s defection, a few leaders, including MLAs, have distanced themselves from our activities. We will be keeping a keen eye on their attendance and mull appropriate steps,” said district core committee member Mahmood Hossain.

Sources noted the example of zilla parishad functionary Siraj Khan, who had defected to the BJP even before Adhikari, but rejoined Trinamul in Calcutta on Sunday.

The chief minister is slated to reach Tekhali on Monday by helicopter.