KOLKATA: In a bid to follow the Communist Party’s model, the Trinamool Congress has decided to recruit whole-timers to keep an eye on the developments in the lower rung of the party. Four youths from each Assembly constituency will be appointed as whole-timers.
One of the four whole-timers will function as a coordinator, one will be in-charge of showcasing the government’s success and the party’s activities on social networking platforms like Facebook and
Twitter and two others will oversee voters’ lists and booth-level organisations.
Two weeks ago, in a meeting with party leaders and MLAs at the Kolkata headquarters, chief minister Mamata Banerjee asked all the legislators to give four names from each constituency. The MLAs, accordingly, gave four names in sealed envelopes who will be recruited as the party’s whole-timers, said a senior Trinamool leader.
“It is a fact that our party does not have an organisational setup like the CPM and the BJP. As a result, damaging issues like cut money and atrocities by party workers did not reach the chief minister and other senior party leaders on time. The recruitment of whole-timers, all Trinamool activists or supporters, is aimed at the party’s satraps and their activities on ground,” he said.
He further stated that the idea to recruit from each Assembly constituency was of election strategist Prashant Kishore. Sources in the ruling party said, more whole-timers would be recruited at block and gram panchayat levels in the future.
Insiders in the Trinamool said the recruitment of the whole-timers is to counter BJP’s strategy to use social networking platforms in its favour. “They (BJP) have a dedicated team that uses social networking platforms to circulate information, both in their own favour and against us. Shortly, we will have our men do the same at the Assembly constituency level which will be expanded to block and gram panchayat levels,” said another Trinamool leader.
Mamata to meet all MPs, MLAs in Monday meeting
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has asked all MPs, MLAs, Zila Parishad heads and their deputies to be present in a meeting convened by her on Monday. The meeting is said to be the biggest such gathering since the party’s lack-lustre performance in the Lok Sabha polls which reduced its strength in Parliament to 22 from 34. The elected representatives will be issued a set of instructions that they will have to follow till the Assembly elections scheduled to be held in 2021 in the wake of BJP’s heavy inroads in the state,’’ said a Trinamool leader.