Kolkata, June 21 (PTI): With the Lok Sabha election due next year, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee sent out a stern message to her party workers today, asking them to desist from infighting and complacency and work unitedly.
She also accused a section of the party workers in the tribal Junglemahal area of remaining inactive during last month’s panchayat polls, which she said had led to the TMC’s defeat in some of the seats.
Stating that some in the party did not work “properly”, she said, “Nobody should think that they are above the party. You should remember that two ministers have recently resigned for the party’s poor performance in the panchayat polls.” On June 5, Tribal Development Minister James Kujur and Backward Class Development Minister Churamani Mahato had resigned from their posts.
Banerjee’s comments come in the backdrop of the BJP increasing its vote-share in the rural polls in the Junglemahal area, particularly in Purulia and Jhargram.
Continuing with her diatribe, the chief minister said, “Those who are making money in the name of the party should stop such things.
This will not be tolerated. There are leaders who are only busy to get new posts. I ask them to reach out to the masses and if they are unwilling to do so, they are free to leave the TMC.”
Referring to reports of clashes between the members of the TMC and its youth wing, she said, “This too will not be tolerated. The Trinamool Youth Congress should keep it in mind that the TMC is the mother party and it is one of its arms.”
Reaching out to the TMC old-timers, Banerjee said the party was able to achieve its position because of their battle against the CPI-M’s misrule during the Left party’s 34-year-long regime in the state.
