With Kolkata municipal polls round the corner followed by the big fight in the 2011 Assembly polls, the Trinamool is in no mood to waste an opportunity to woo the voters. “Since the Madhyamik and Higher Secondary examinations are going on, it has been decided that we will conduct inauguration programmes on the platforms of different stations. Earlier, we were denied permission to hold such programmes from the open fields in South 24-Parganas,” said a senior railway officer.

“We are doing this (launching several projects) so as to avoid delay,” the officer added.

So beginning this Saturday, Mamata will be on a launching spree. To start with, the railway minister will inaugurate a multi-functional complex in Howrah from a platform at Shalimar station. At another programme at Canning railway station in South 24-Parganas on March 15, the Union minister is expected to inaugurate work on new railway lines to the Sunderbans, besides four ticket reservation counters in the district among others.

“Last week in Canning, our leader was not given permission to hold her programme. Various CPM leaders are, however, using loudspeakers in their own party programmes. But we have decided we will follow the rules and hold the programmes on railway stations. This will not harm anybody,” said a senior Trinamool leader.

According to sources in the railways, many projects are situated far away from railway stations but since the local administration has imposed ban on using loudspeakers, such inauguration programmes will be held at the nearest stations.