‘Workers engaged in infighting during polls will be punished’

“No infighting will be tolerated and backstabbers will be thrown out of the party,” she told her party colleagues. She was holding the meeting of the party’s policy making body at her Kalighat residence on Saturday afternoon. The District presidents and presidents of six units of the party were present at the meeting. The meeting of the body will be held on the first Saturday of every month.

She reiterated that because of infighting the party had lost some key seats. “The infighting came out in the open and some leaders thought they were more important than the party. No one is above the party and the errant leaders will be punished,” she said.

Banerjee stated that any party worker or leader found to keep in touch with cow smugglers or extortion racket would be thrown out of the party. 

“We are here to serve the people and anyone using the party platform to cater to his or her own personal agenda will be thrown out of the party,” she maintained, adding: “The party functionaries should be transparent and any slip on their part will not be tolerated.” Banerjee said: “I know what is happening and so be very careful. 

Work for the people because they are our only concern.” The party supremo said the party would not tolerate any corruption, high handedness or extortion by the leaders and any such complaints against them would be inquired and then steps would be taken.

The presidents of Malda and South Dinajpur districts were reprimanded for their failure to curb infighting.

The party had to pay a very heavy price because of intra party squabble in Malda where two ministers, namely, Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury and Sabitri Mitra lost. Despite brilliant results in the election, the party could not open its account in Malda. Similarly, in South Dinajpur the party lost some seats due to infighting.

Banerjee said the party’s women wing should be strengthened as 50 per cent seats had been reserved for women in the panchayats. She asked Chandrinma Bhattacharya to take steps in this regard. She said there would be one INTTUC union in an office. No infighting in the trade union front will be tolerated, she said.

It may be mentioned that after the Assembly election results were out on May 19 and TMC got a landslide victory, Banerjee had told the senior party leaders that, a thorough search should be conducted why the party nominees had failed to win the seats in places where the civic bodies were under party’s control.

Also, in many constituencies party candidates had lost by less than 1000 votes. She had then said that the backstabbers would be identified and punished.

Party insiders said since the inception of the party meetings with such seriousness had never been held. The presidents of districts where trouble had cropped up within the party were asked to explain and were pulled up for their failure to give proper reasons.