Panchayat polls: Mamata cautions party workers against infighting
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday cautioned the booth-level workers against infighting and urged them not to contest elections as Independent candidates at the behest of BJP. Banerjee also alleged vote looting on the part of the Adhikari family (without taking anybody’s name) at the time of counting of the Assembly elections in Nandigram in 2021 by triggering a power cut for three hours.
Banerjee made it clear that the party will field candidates having a transparent image for the ensuing Panchayat polls and at the same time reiterated that responsible leaders will be given due importance in the party.
“The ticket for polls will be given to a single candidate in the three-tier Panchayat system and, naturally, everyone will not get the license to contest. But, I request you not to fight polls as Independent candidates at the behest of the BJP. If you do so, disciplinary action will be initiated. It is the responsibility of the party to assign responsibilities to every single party worker and it will be done,” she said.
There have been earlier instances of TMC leaders contesting as Independent candidates after being denied a poll ticket.
Banerjee slammed the Adhikari family accusing them of looting votes during counting at the Nandigram Assembly elections. “When they fell flat after the results, they looted the result of Nandigram. I have gone to court protesting the result. Why was the power cut for three hours in Nandigram on the counting day? I want an answer to this and will not take things for granted,” she thundered.
Initially, there were reports of Banerjee sweeping the polls, however, after the election result in Nandigram was out it was found that Banerjee had been defeated by BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari by a slender margin of 1,956 votes.
Calling the Adhikari family ‘traitors’ Banerjee said that they are all greedy for power. “Their work is to create unrest. But I will not tolerate any attempt to create violence in Bengal,” she added.
Banerjee reiterated that all the projects in Bengal are being undertaken by the state government’s funds with the Centre not providing a penny for the projects. “Bengal government has created 10 crore mandays in Bengal. Bengal has topped the rankings when it comes to 100 days work scheme. All our projects, be it Banglar
Bari or rural roads, all are undertaken by the state. However, the BJP leaders are going to Delhi and telling their
high command to not give I}K*any money to Bengal,” she added.
Banerjee alleged that the BJP leaders are buying off a few Adivasis, who are parroting their lines. “The majority of Adivasi communities in Bengal are steadfastly behind the Bengal government and are prospering under the social welfare schemes that we provide,” she claimed.
