KOLKATA: With the Durga Puja celebrations now over, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP will evaluate their mass outreach drives that were done in tandem with festivities during Bengal’s biggest festival.
The BJP leadership has already sought report from its district units on how the outreach programme, especially on contentious issues of the NRC and the CAB, clicked during the festival.
TMC supremo and Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee convened a meeting on October 15. “Presidents of 400 blocks and presidents of 127 municipalities and municipal corporation areas will be present in the meeting. Election strategist Prashant Kishor will also be present in the meeting,’’ said a Trinamool leader.
Mamata will advise TMC leaders to carry out campaigns against the BJP’s attempt to gain political mileage using the death of a few persons who were allegedly apolitical, said a Trinamool insider. “She will also discuss about the strategy for the next year’s municipal elections. Our party will also assure the people that they will not have to be worried over the NRC issue as not a single person will have to leave the state if the exercise is done in Bengal.’’
In the meeting, talks will be held on the success of Didi Ke Bolo (Tell your sister), an initiative floated by the chief minister on the basis of Kishor’s advice after a series of agitations over the cut money issue.
Before the festive season, the BJP-Trinamool turf war had intensified over the NRC. The CPI-M and the Congress too are chalking out plans to carry out political activities. ‘’We plan to organise a mega programme jointly to send a message to the supporters ahead of the municipal elections,’’ said PCC president Somen Mitra.