Kolkata: Former West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC National Chairperson Mamatha Banerjee took over as the TMC party West Bengal State President on Saturday.

In her Facebook Live message, Mamatha Banerjee also issued an appeal to those legislators and leaders who have united under the rebel by majority faction under the leadership of the expelled party legislator Ritabrata Banerjee. She said to join the BJP, instead of continuing to claim themselves as the real Trinamool Congress.

I know you are doing all these things to grab the party name, election symbol and the party funds, she said. I know that ultimately you might not be able to get control over the election symbol. But even if you are successful in doing that, courtesy of the ECI, I will not be bothered. A is what the common people and the grassroots workers accept. When I first got the symbol, I contested the election with it just 1 month and 22 days later. Now, if necessary, I will go out to the people with the symbol hanging around my neck. Will you be able to silence my voice? It will not be that easy. You will have to kill me to silence my voice, she added.

Mamatha Banerjee announced the names of the party legislators, namely Kunal Ghosh and Madan Mitra. She appointed these two as State General Secretaries of TMC in West Bengal. Chandrima Bhattacharya resigned from the post following her decision to join the rebel faction led by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee.

Speaking on the occasion, Mamatha Banerjee gave a message to her followers about the uncertainties surrounding the party’s annual Martyrs’ Day rally on July 21^st. Kolkata Police already having granted permission to hold the rally at the traditional venue in front of the CESC office at Esplanade in Central Kolkata. She said that the Martyrs’ Day Programme will be conducted as usual this time also. If necessary, I will stand on a rickshaw and organise the rally.