In what seems to be the new Hindu card for Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, party chief is all set to address a massive Brahmin Sammelan in Birbhum district of West Bengal next month.

At a time when the BJP is gaining grounds across the state with increase in the voting percentage, this seems to be a big effort by the Trinamool to garner support on this ground too.

TMC Birbhum district president, Anubrato Mondal said, "On 6th, I have booth sammelan, on 8th, I have purahit sammelan there whatever needs to be said about Hindu we will say. On 13th, we have booth sammelan in Suiri, on 15th it is booth sammelan in Rampurhat; minority conference in Muslim community where issues related with Islam will be discussed. We expect that 12,000 to 15,000 priests are going to come."

Commenting on BJP's Dilip Ghosh, Mondal said, "They are lying. Priests conference has never happened in India, but only happens in America after a gap of 3 years. Know this. Ask Dilip babu that priest conference happens only in America with a gap of 3 years. The words hit me. I won't learn Hindutva from him. What is BJP's age? 36 years. What is Congress's age? 131 years. What is Trinamool's age? Very little, have you seen the progress? Our chief minister is showing how to stay beside people. I won't learn Hindutva from Dilip Ghosh because I'm myself Hindu."

Birbhum has been the hotbed of various controversies specially between Hindu and Muslims in the district. Even Mondal has been known for his flaring and blaring remarks on various issues including beheading of BJP leaders or supporters too in the past.

On being asked about going soft on the Hindu brigade, Mondal made another defence, "Absolutely not, where? Where is the conflict? What they are saying doesn't bother me. TMC is with the people. Yesterday, there was procession in 2 blocks, Suiri 1 and Suiri 2. Less people come from city, which you all know. 40,000 to 50,000 people, I'm not saying these, but the governments papers are saying, journalists are saying. Mamata Banerjee is coming on 3rd at Joydeb."

But, the BJP feels that this is just another way of TMC to make its presence felt amongst Brahmins.

About 15000 Bramhins are going to attend this conference and do pujas. According to the sources, every Bramhin will be provided with a copy of Gita, a namabali, which is a religious shawl and also a photograph of Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Saradha Maa.

This sort of conference is usually common in states like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, but this is going to be the first one in West Bengal.

Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries Babul Supriyo said, "Whatever TMC does in Bengal is all appeasement politics. Sometimes they give imam bhata and then they think that to balance it we should do something, these are all vote bank politics. Actually, we have to find the reason behind it, the intention behind is bad that is related to vote. We have to see what the development intention is, there we don't see anything."

In political circle, this attempt is seen as a counter to the BJP's rise in the state.

BJP has allegedly said that these conferences are nothing but a way to win the Hindu voters as the crucial 2018 panchayat elections are around the corner.

West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh explained, "In West Bengal, Brahman Sammelan is happening, is this like turning from secularisation to Hindu? Is it for the vote? They have to answer it to the people. This cunning behaviour, not only West Bengal, but the whole country will not accept it, if it was not like that then the Gujarat result would have been different."

Birbhum has always been the first for any political battle in the state and this battle has just begun with Brahmins.

Inputs from Bhaskar Mukherjee in Birbhum and Anil Giri in Asansol