Kolkata, In an effort to carry forward Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee's idea to create party units in 15 states within a year, the party has decided to amend its constitution to accommodate leaders from the other states into the working committee.

 

The decision was taken in the party working committee meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Monday night.

"Right now, all members of the Trinamool Congress working committee are from West Bengal. Since our party is now expanding in other states, the leadership today decided to amend the constitution so that leaders from all regions can be inducted into the working committee," party leader in the Rajya Sabha, Derek O'Brien, said after the meeting.

"How and when the constitution will be amended is to be decided by Mamata Banerjee. The next meeting of the working committee will be held in Delhi. These changes are necessary because the party is expanding nationally," O'Brien added.

This is the first-time leaders from the northeast and the Hindi belt are likely to find a place in the party's working committee, which is the highest decision-making body.

The party has also announced that Mamata Banerjee has appointed Charles Pyngrope as President of the party's Meghalaya unit.

Party insiders have indicated that Sushmita Deb, who recently joined TMC from Congress, might be asked to head the party units in Assam and Tripura.

In the meeting, it has been decided that the working committee will be expanded to make room for leaders from Manipur, Assam, Tripura, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu.

Monday's meeting was attended by former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha, who joined the party in March, former Janata Dal (United) Rajya Sabha member Pavan Varma, former Congress MP from Haryana, Ashok Tanwar, former Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who along with 11 Congress legislators joined the Trinamool on November 24.

Former tennis star Leander Paes, who recently joined the party in Goa, where the party will contest the upcoming assembly polls, was also present.

Party secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said, "Decisions taken by the working committee today will be communicated to leaders in Meghalaya, Goa and Tripura. In the two northeastern states, we have emerged as the main opposition force. The party is making these changes to meet the demands of the changing scenario."