Source: Source: Internet
Kolkata : After the Lok Sabha poll debacle although Trinamool Congress (TMC)has decided to rebuild it’s lost contact in West Bengal , the party is trying to keep their national ambition of forming a federal front alive which will act as a greatest platform of all the largest Opposition parties to voice against the polices of the BJP government.
On Wednesday, Raj Thackeray of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief met with WB Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna and both of them convened meeting for an hour.
After the meeting, Thackery said: “Like Banerjee, our party also demands that elections should be held in the ballot and not in the EVM, and we support the demand raised by Banerjee . I also spoke with Sonia Gandhi on this matter. We need to go a long way. We have also decided to organise a protest meeting on August 21 and we have invited Banerjee to visit Mumbai on this regard.”
On August 9, MNS has planned protests against the current voting method and also threatened to boycott the upcoming Assembly polls over alleged tampering of the EVMs.
A senior TMC leader said that after the results of the Lok Sabha election, this is the first time a leader of a different political party came to Kolkata to meet Banerjee. Banerjee has been consulting various leaders before the Lok Sabha elections and forming a federal front of all non-BJP parties to form a common platform to fight against BJP. At the same time, Banerjee is focusing more on strengthening her party and giving extra time to formulate strategies on how to increase contacts with common people.”
Partha Chatterjee, state education minister, said: “Our national strategy to build a consensus with allnon BJP parties will remain same and Banerjee is trying to co-ordinate with all the leaders of the non-BJP parties to come to a consensus on some basic issues.”
Incidentally, after her meeting with Thackery, Banerjee said: “I am concerned at the rise of the criminal incidents where old couples are being murdered for having a property at South Kolkata. Two such incidents happened in a span of one week. One at Netajinagar in South Kolkata and another at Narendrapur and I have asked the police to investigate the matter. We will take action against the promoters if such incidents occur. I will urge the civic body officers and the panchyat leaders to immediately inform police if they receive any complaints from any residents that they are being threatened by goons.”
On Thursday senior police officers went to the some senior citizens residence at Alipore and installed CCTV cameras in some strategic locations so that police could track , if the senior citizens are being threatened by any individuals.
Sayantan Bose, general secretary of West Bengal BJP, said: ”It is difficult for Banerjee to rebuild her lost contacts as people are disgusted with the functions of the government. At one point she is telling her party leaders to return cut money and, on the other hand she is building a consensus of all non-BJP parties to form a federal front. People won’t take it easily and we are sure that we will increase our seats in the upcoming Assembly elections too.”
Plans taken by Trinamool Congress to strengthen the party
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee organised a Padyatra (a walk) from Birla Planetorium to Nazrul Mancha on August 1 (Thursday) to strengthen her connect with the common mass. The walk, although is merely to” Save Green Stay Clean” an intiative to protect trees , but Opposition parties feel that this is one of the steps taken by TMC to strengthen their lost contacts with the people.
Mamata Banerjee has already chalked out plans for 100 days.
Mamata Banerjee has already instructed her party leaders to visit every block leader and know their problems and find out measures that need to be taken to strengthen the contacts with the common people. The TMC has roped in poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who party insiders claimed in giving them suggestions on how they can increase their contacts with the common people ahead of Assembly elections in 2021.
Banerjee has already instructed her party leaders to return the cut money . On Tuesday, Shatabdi Roy, TMC MP, returned Rs 29 lakh to the Enforcement directorate (ED).
Sources in Trinamool Congress said that leader Prashant Kishore has advised several other leaders to increase contacts with people. Even the TMC chief has been advised to soften her stand against PM Narendra Modi . After Modi came to power, Banerjee wrote five letters to the the prime minister on issues ranging from the “falling significance of NITI Ayog”, “expediting the process to change the name of West Bengal to Bangla”, to “protesting the Centre’s disinvestment policy”.
According to the BJP, it is difficult for Banerjee to regain the lost contacts as people have lost faith in Banerjee. Although Prashant Kishore is trying his best to provide some strategy so that Banerjee could rebuild her lost contacts, it will be futile as people have already drifted apart from Banerjee.
Bose said ” We feel that the TMC has already lost contacts with the common people. Despite all efforts, such measures will not translate into votes as people have already lost faith in Banerjee.”