Abhishek says Trinamool will give tickets to those with a clean image

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee reiterated on Friday that the party will select candidates for the forthcoming Panchayat elections and it will be free and fair.

Talking to party leaders and workers at a gathering to celebrate Bijoya Sammelan at Amtala, Abhishek made it clear that candidates with clean images and good local contacts will be given an opportunity. He also told the gathering that getting hold of leaders to bag a candidature will be of no use. The party is keeping a tab on the situation and efficient workers with transparent backgrounds will be nominated.

Both Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek had earlier said stern action will be taken against those trying to create trouble during the election. Though Trinamool Congress had retained all the Zilla Parishads in the 2018 Panchayat elections, the opposition had alleged violence and intimidation of voters by some TMC leaders during the poll.

Abhishek asked party leaders and workers to build contact with people and listen to their grievances. The party's women leaders are touring the districts and will visit every block in the state to make people aware of various schemes taken by the state government and how Mamata Banerjee had worked to empower women. Some of the schemes include Swasthya Sathi cards that are issued in the name of the senior-most woman member of the family. Again, survey has revealed that Sabuj Sathi has very successfully brought down marriages of minor girls in the semi-urban and rural areas. Lakshmir Bhandar has helped women immensely across the state.

Abhishek came to Amtala at around 4 pm. This was for the first time when he had attended a gathering after a major surgery in his left eye in the United States. He could not visit Diamond Harbour — his Lok Sabha constituency — after Durga Puja.

He was present during the Kali Puja which was held at Mamata Banerjee's residence and stayed there for about 10 minutes as the doctors had advised him not to go near fire and avoid close contact with people to avoid chances of infection.

There was tremendous excitement among party workers when Abhishek's motorcade reached Amtala. People stood on both sides of Diamond Harbour Road to see him. He got down from his vehicle and shook hands with party workers, assuring them that he would again come to the area and apologised for his inability to visit them after Durga Puja.