Apparently aware that the party’s TRP is falling with the State’s menfolk — post exposure of the large-scale corruption in school level recruitment tests — Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress is planning to target the women voters in the next year’s panchayatelections. The scam-struck ruling outfit has decided to activate its women’s wings to launch door-to-door campaigns show-casing the pro-women reforms unleashed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Aware that the women voters played a big role in TMC’s landslide victory in the 2021 Assembly elections the ruling outfit has planned to hold mahila panchayat conferences in districts. The 49 percent women voters had voted for Mamata Banerjee in big numbers particularly after her party launched the Laxmir Bhandar — ascheme that assured a stipend of `500 each one woman in everyhousehold —ahead of the Assembly elections.
Dwelling on the party’s plans Bengal minister and TMC Mahila Congress State president Chandrima Bhattacharya said, “we will organise mahila panchayat conferences in every district and reach out to women inevery household,” adding her team would convey to the women voters about the women-centric schemes initiated by the Chief Minister.
“The women of Bengal know about the women-centric schemes launched byChief Mamata Minister Banerjee … bringing world wide accolades for the State … we Kanyashree, Rupashree, Laxmir Bhandar, Swastha Saathi and many other schemes that have strengthened the women socially … today they do not have to look up to others for assitance,” the minister said adding the party planned to start special campaigns from November1.
“We will reach every household in the 31 organisational districts … we will talk to every woman,” another TMC leader said adding how thewomen had voted for the TMC in overwhelming numbers in the 2021 elections.
Out of the total vote the party had polled 48 percent came from the women.
Reacting to the TMC’s plans CPI(M) leader and former MP Samik Lahiri said how “the people, particularly the women are waiting for the TMC leaders in the villages … the TMC thinks that the women can be taken for a ride … this time that is not going to happen … if there is a free and fare election then the TMC will get a big surprise … after all the women are not seperated from their households … the households that have laregly been affected by the job scam … the house holds that have been affected by the non-payment of wages in the 100-days’ jobscheme for months
now.” BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said that both women and men would give the TMC a befitting reply “only the polls should be free and fare and for that we are asking for central forces.”