TMC to hit the roads against contentious farm laws; CM sends strong message to rebels

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee directed party leaders to hit the streets against the three contentious farm laws and the centre’s disinvestment and privatization policy next week.

While party veterans, including MPs and MLAs, will hold rallies across Kolkata from December 8 to 10, sit-in demonstrations would be held in at least two places in central and north Kolkata.

Banerjee held a virtual meeting with party leaders on Friday to take stock of the organizational preparedness ahead of the state assembly elections.

“The chief minister has asked party leaders to organize rallies with booth level workers in both north Bengal and in the western districts while sending a strong message against rebels,” said a senior TMC leader who attended the meeting.

Banerjee is expected to hold rallies in West Midnapore and West Burdwan on December 7 and 8, before coming back to Kolkata to attend the anti-farm bill, she would visit north Bengal around December 15 and 16.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP made big inroads into West Bengal’s western and northern parts, two relatively under-developed areas of the state. Of the 18 Lok Sabha seats where the BJP was ahead or had already registered victories, as many as 13 were in the west and the north.

TMC leaders present in the meeting said that Banerjee has asked party leaders to take strict actions against rebels.

“Even though she didn’t name anybody but her message was loud and clear. She clearly stated that the party will not tolerate any rebels,” said a TMC leader.

Over the past few weeks, a few TMC MPs and MLAs have expressed their dissatisfaction against the party’s top leadership. While Mihir Goswami, a TMC MLA from north Bengal, has already joined the BJP, Suvendu Adhikari, a state minister, has resigned from the cabinet widening his rift with the party.