Trinamool leaders warned for passing off domestic staff as Dalit party workers
KOLKATA: Several Trinamool leaders were caught red-handed in a meeting attended by election strategist Prashant Kishor for submitting names of scheduled caste party workers at booth-level who have no connection with politics. They mentioned the names of their drivers, gardeners and domestic helps to identify them as the party’s SC workers at the booth level.
In a bid to strengthen the ruling party’s grass-roots level network, Kishor had asked the leaders to submit names of five to 10 SC workers who will be working at the booth level. After getting the names from the leaders, Kishor’s team I-PAC conducted a survey and found many of the ‘booth workers’ have no connection with politics, said a party leader.
The trick to skip instructions given by Kishor came to light when the ruling party’s senior leaders held a meeting with district-level leaders on Thursday in Kishor’s presence. “The idea of engaging SC party workers at booth-level was adopted to secure Dalit votes. The BJP in Bengal is also trying to bring the SC electorates, who had migrated from Bangladesh during Partition and settled in the state as refugees, in its fold showcasing NRC and CAB issues,’’ said the leader.
Home Minister Amit Shah, during his Kolkata visit in October, assured refugees living in Bengal saying none of them would have to leave India.
The decision of SC workers’ inclusion at the booth-level organisation was part of an outreach to connect with the masses and at the grass-roots level. In the meeting, the leaders, who sent false names, were warned and asked to send a fresh list of SC workers.
Caught red-handed after survey by I-PAC
According to a Trinamool leader, the idea of engaging SC party workers at booth-level was adopted to secure the Dalit votes. The trick to skip instructions given by Kishor came to light when Kishor’s team I-PAC conducted a survey and found many of the ‘booth workers’ had no form of political experience