Mamata asks TMC MLAs to apologise to people for past mistakes

Kolkata:Stung by defections and poor show in the Lok Sabha polls, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee Thursday gave some pep-talk to her party MLAs asking them to be more humble while reaching out to the people and if needed, apologise for the mistakes committed in the past.

Banerjee held a meeting with her party MLAs during the day -- her first since the Lok Sabha polls which saw the BJP snatching away 18 of the 42 seats in the state, just four less than the TMC.

A senior TMC leader said at the meeting, Banerjee exuded confidence that her party will bounce back in the 2021 Assembly polls and asked workers to prepare for it and bring old-timers back to the party fold.

"Our party supremo has asked all MLAs to be more humble and reach out to the masses. She has also asked us that if needed the MLAs should apologize for their mistakes committed in the past," a TMC MLA said.

Another senior party leader said, "We have been told to submit a list of four names per booth who will look after booth level organisation, IT cell and reach out to the masses with the welfare schemes of the state government."

According to TMC sources, Banerjee admonished some of the senior MLAs for making statements which did not go down well with the people during the Lok Sabha polls.

She asked her party leaders to introspect and rebuked a section of them for the TMC's poor performance in the general elections, a source said.

The TMC supremo accused a few leaders of not working properly in their areas and for being "keen on taking illegal commission" (cut money) from people to provide benefits under government schemes.

Elected representatives at municipal and panchayat levels are facing public ire over the issue of cut money.