Source: Internet
Kolkata : Ever since the Trinamool Congress government roped in Prashant Kishor as the political advisor of the party, to give it an image make-over ahead of the 2021 state general elections, it has mostly been Mr Kishor who has been taking the major decisions that matter as regards to the matters of the state, or so it seems.
It’s no longer the Trinamool Congress government that runs West Bengal, but Kishor’s organisation, I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee) that has been making key decisions for chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee, feels a section of party leaders.
The party leaders at block level vouch for this, so do the senior bureaucrats, who have been compelled to work according to the instructions of Kishor’s office.
A senior IAS officer, on condition of anonymity, said: “We are directly sending the files to Prashant Kishor’s office for approval. Nothing happens without his nod.”
If any bureaucrat defies Mr Kishor’s instructions, then he will do it at his own peril. The best example in this regard is the case of Mr Onkar Singh Meena, who was made the in-charge of the monitoring of program implementation and grievance cell. When Prashant Kishor’s men came and met with the officers of the grievance cell and expressed their willingness to work in tandem with them, Mr Meena refused saying that a government office cannot work with a private organisation unless there is an MOU in place. The immediate effect was that Meena, along with another civil service officers were transferred to a district on the same day.
Sources inside the TMC said that the zilla sabhapati and zilla sabhadipati of TMC are also feeling the brunt of Mr Kishor’s activities. Mr Kishor’s office is following up on everything and keeping them on their toes and taking regular updates on whether the district-level leaders are regularly following ‘Didi Ke Bolo’ campaign in letter and spirit and are also being asked to give feedback to Mr Kishor’s office regularly.
A senior TMC leader of Bankura said: “Just a week ago I received a call from Mr Prashant Kishor’s office and they asked me to send some pictures of the ‘Didi Ke Bolo’ campaign in the district. When I said that I will send the pictures later, the officer told me that they are aware of the activities in the area and they can even say what they were doing then. I was stunned to hear this as none of the officers from Kishor’s office met them before this call.”
The BJP state leadership has already alleged that political strategist Mr Prashant Kishor who has been roped in by Trinamool Congress was interfering in the works of the state government.
Rahul Sinha, national secretary of the BJP, said: “We have heard that Kishore is interfering in works of the government and giving directions to IAS and IPS officers. It is unacceptable and we condemn such activities.”
Denying the allegations, state parliamentary affairs minister, Mr Partha Chatterjee, said: “We have decided to take a few measures for smooth functioning of the party. Mr Kishore or his firm is not interfering in any government works. “
The decision to contact Mr Kishor to turn the political fortunes of the TMC came after the party suffered a setback in the Lok Sabha elections in which the BJP secured 18 seats in Bengal out of 22 seats.