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With political cauldron burning in West Bengal, TMC hopes to win over people by not giving tickets to leaders involved in corruption
With its image taking a beating following the violent attacks on Hindus during the Ram Navami celebrations, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress has decided not to field leaders involved in corruption cases in the upcoming panchayat election.
The ruling TMC government has come under scrutiny following its failure to prevent the riots during the Ram Navami yatra. Many locals in Howrah and Hooghly also complained about the West Bengal police’s passive response in protecting the Hindu devotees.
But it is not the riots that are becoming a headache for Didi and her maverick nephew, the party’s national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee.
The party is already facing severe criticism regarding the involvement of its leaders in various corruption cases such as the SSC scam, cattle smuggling scam and others.
Sources from the party told The New Indian, “Trinamool has taken a strict stand this time in distributing tickets for the upcoming panchayat election. It has been clearly stated that tickets will be given only after verifying everything regarding the candidate, giving priority to acceptance and honesty. No ticket will be given to any corrupt leader.”
Sources also said that party leaders will make an effort to reach people at the ground level after being instructed by party top brass.
“(CM Mamata) Banerjee had made it clear. Those who will be in office must work or that person cannot continue with the post,” a top party source said.
It is not the local leaders who will have to be on the ground. Party sources informed The New Indian that Members of Parliament have also been asked to start working for the panchayat election immediately.
The public outreach programmes by the ruling party aimed at garnering support from people and putting the opposition, especially the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on the back foot.
Among the key leaders who are facing corruption charges include Partha Chatterjee, considered close to Mamata Banerjee. Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on July 23 in the SSC recruitment scam. His arrest followed the recovery of a huge amount of money from the residence of his close aide, Arpita Mukherjee.
Chatterjee’s arrest led to massive protests by the lakhs of job aspirants who took to the roads, demanding justice.
While the dust of the SSC scam is yet to settle, ED arrested another key leader, Anubrata Mondal, in a cross-border cattle smuggling scam.
