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TMC launches campaign to reach out to voters amid hints of more trouble
The drive was launched days after Union minister Nisith Pramanik, a Lok Sabha member from north Bengal’s Cooch Behar, on October 9 hinted at more trouble for the ruling party in December
West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) will hold 500 events across the state as part of a campaign to reach out to the voters during the festive season. The drive was launched on Tuesday and will conclude on October 22, two days before Kali puja. It is being held against the backdrop of arrests of TMC leaders in corruption cases.
“The party wants to exchange festive greetings with the masses after Durga Puja. This is part of Bengal’s culture,” said TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, referring to the customs associated with Bijoya, which is observed after the five-day puja.
The drive was launched days after Union minister Nisith Pramanik, a Lok Sabha member from north Bengal’s Cooch Behar, on October 9 hinted at more trouble for the ruling party in December.
“The TMC’s base has corroded at the grassroots level. The party will collapse. Something is going to happen in December. I cannot predict the exact date but wait till December,” Pramanik told BJP workers at a meeting.
A day later, Suvendu Adhikari, the Opposition leader in the state assembly, made a similar statement. “December will witness turmoil. I am not saying we will topple the government but it will become impossible for the TMC to run the government,” Adhikari said. He also did not elaborate.
Pramanik left the TMC and joined BJP in 2019 while Adhikari switched sides a year later. Their statements have triggered speculation that the BJP may try to engineer a defection from the TMC.
Actor Mithun Chakraborty, who joined the BJP in 2021, has hinted at this during his recent visits to Bengal. He said 38 TMC legislators were in touch with the BJP. Chakraborty’s statement came days after former minister Partha Chatterjee was arrested in the school teacher recruitment scam. Chakraborty also said innocent TMC leaders should have no reason to be worried.
State BJP leaders demanded President’s rule in Bengal over the alleged post-assembly poll violence last year. TMC returned to power for a third time, winning 221 of 294 seats. BJP has 70 members in the state assembly.
Ghosh referred to the repeated references to December and said possibly the central agencies will get more proactive before the year-end. “The federal agencies work under instructions from the BJP leaders. Possibly they are planning something big in December.”
In August, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee triggered speculation over the party’s image makeover in the wake of probes into corruption charges against its leaders. “A new TMC, just like the one people want, will emerge in six months,” said hoardings that appeared across Bengal with photos of Banerjee.
The hoardings did not have any mention or photographs of 67-year-old chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who founded the TMC in 1998 and continues to be its chairperson. The makeover was perceived to be the initiative of Abhishek Banerjee, 34, her nephew and a Member of Parliament.
The TMC has since then made organisational changes and replaced several old office-bearers.
