Stung by the arrests of TMC’s heavyweight leaders, party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will hold a review meeting with the administration on September 7 and a booth-level meeting a day later to assess the ground situation ahead of the 2023 panchayat elections.
Sources said Banerjee wants to take stock of her party before Pujo, given that the TMC’s image has been tarnished after the arrest of Partha Chatterjee in the SSC scam and Anubrata Mondal, Birbhum chief, in a cattle smuggling case. Not just the party, the role of the Banerjee government too is under the scanner in the SSC scam.
On September 7, all District Magistrates, SPs of all districts, commissioners, department secretaries and other senior officials have been called for the meeting. Every department has submitted its report ahead of the meeting.
Sources in the administration say with the chief minister herself stressing on a drive to get rid of corruption, the meeting will be important.
On the party front, Banerjee will address 1,840 block leaders and over 17,000 workers on September 8. “There has been a change. Block-level people who are corrupt will not get a panchayat ticket. I think this message will be clearly given by party chief,” a senior TMC leader told News18.
Abhishek Banerjee, National General Secretary of TMC, had earlier spoken about a corruption-free organisation. Sources in TMC say he met each district leader and conducted an independent review before changing block leaders.
Abhishek Banerjee had claimed that in the coming six months, people will see a new TMC. Party insiders expect a list of do’s and don’ts to also be announced by him.
The 2018 panchayat polls in Bengal were marred by violence. In Birbhum, where Anubrata Mondal was the TMC head, the party won uncontested, giving rise to the Opposition’s allegations that the TMC used muscle power to stop other candidates from filing nominations.
The TMC had to bear the brunt of the 2018 violence in 2019 and thus, strict instructions have been given by Abhishek Banerjee that even if the party loses some places, use of muscle power will not be entertained.
Reacting to the TMC chief’s meetings, BJP said: “People have understood TMC. These meetings and cleanliness drives will not have any effect.”
As Mamata Banerjee gets ready to set her house in order ahead of the 2023 polls, only time will tell whether these meetings come to her aid.
