Intensify public interaction, directs Mamata

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has started preparing for the by-elections in six Assembly seats — Naihati, Haroa, Midnapore, Taldangra, Sitai and Madarihat — which will take place on November 13 with results set to be declared on November 23. After securing a clean sweep in the by-elections of four Assembly seats held earlier this year, the Trinamool is now eyeing a victory in these six seats.

After the Election Commission of India (ECI) declared the by-elections on Tuesday, the ruling party has started making a blueprint on how to carry out the campaign.

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has already instructed her party leaders to lay stress on public coordination during the Bijoya Sammilani celebrations in the districts. Banerjee has instructed the party leaders to go to people and listen to their suggestions. They may seek opinions from the people about various recent issues. Several party leaders from the districts have visited Banerjee’s house in Kalighat to seek her blessing after Bijoya Dashami. Trinamool Congress will start Bijoya Sammilani in several places from Thursday. The programme will be held in Birbhum’s Murarai and Nalhati, North 24-Parganas’ Barrackpore and Minakha, West Burdwan’s Raiganj, East Burdwan’s Kalna and Purbasthali South and also in Behala West and Behala East under South Kolkata on Thursday.

The RG Kar case has triggered a massive protest among the junior doctors and a section of people has allegedly been trying to create a sentiment against the state government. The ruling Trinamool Congress leaders have already alleged that the Left parties were trying to hijack the junior doctors’ movement. Trinamool Congress leaders claimed that the RG Kar incident would have no impact on the by-elections in six Assembly seats.

Trinamool Congress MPs and MLAs have already been instructed by party supremo to launch a massive campaign after pujas countering the propaganda that are being circulated by the Opposition parties over the RG Kar incident aiming to malign the ruling party. The MLAs and MPs of the ruling party will carry out rigorous campaigns against the propaganda and they will also present the party’s view. Trinamool Congress leaders may highlight several issues as to how the state government had promptly acted after the incident. The party leaders during their election campaign will also highlight the schemes and the development works carried out by the state government.

Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh had already alleged that there were attempts by the Left parties to hijack the junior doctors’ movement as Left minded doctors, youth leaders were found roaming around the stage where the junior doctors have been continuing hunger strike. He said that Trinamool Congress will win the by-elections in all the six seats while the CPIM will come in the third/fourth place again. The ruling party in Bengal during the 2021 Assembly elections won 5 out of these 6 seats except Madarihat where BJP won.

BJP has not been able to win a single Assembly seat in Bengal by-elections which took place after the 2021 Assembly polls.