Embarrassed by a series of scams --- that has seen a number of her senior Trinamool Congress colleagues including ministers and MLAs going to jail --- ahead of the crucial rural polls and the next year’s general elections Bengal Chief Minister on Monday embarked upon a “pest” control exercise warning her party cadre to mend their ways or feel the consequence.
“Pests of corruption has to be destroyed because if the pest attacks even one plant in the paddy field then it will destroy the entire crop … so even if the pest attacks one plant then it should be eliminated immediately … so we will have to destroy the pests and also ensure that there is no chance of their revival,” Banerjee told a gathering of about 3,500 party functionaries summoned to take part in a working committee meeting.
Outlining a guideline for the party men whereby they would have to reach out to 2 crore households and 10 crore people in the coming days Banerjee said “around 3.5 lakh party workers will reach out to 10 crore people of the State … no one must be left out… because the TMC is a party of the people, by the people and for the people.”
The new campaign has been christened Didir Suraksha Kabach (Didi’s protective shield) with an apparent view to indicate to the rural populace that against every corruption they have the protective shield of the Chief Minister and that she would take care of their issues.
Once again in a bid to her own cult from the government and the party she runs Banerjee said “we must see to it that the people’s work is done … we have to keep eye on them …it is not the panchayat to anything that has to answer to the people … I have to answer to them.”
Starting on January 11 the reach-out campaign would continue for 60 days, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said directing every MP and MLA to spend at least 10 nights each at the homes of common men.
Recent scams in school services recruitment and awaas yojna (housing schemes) that have hit the people directly the Mamata Banerjee Government has been facing massive protests in the countrysides.
Not only this the party has faced defeats at the hands of either BJP or the Left in a number of village cooperative elections.
Hence in order to replicate the massive victory of 2021 Assembly elections Banerjee and TMC has to arrest the growing alienation in the masses.
On ideological issues she said “ours is an ideological party which believes in a united India … so we will have to strengthen the belief in unity in diversity … not like the opposition today that is playing a destructive politics… When we were in the opposition we were never so destructive.”
The Left immediately hit back reminding her the vandalism that was committed in the Bengal Assembly under her leadership and during her presence.