3 min readKolkataJun 6, 2021 10:19 AM IST
First published on: Jun 6, 2021 at 02:11 AM IST
A month after TMC’s victory in the Assembly polls, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is aiming to play a bigger role in the national politics and challenge the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha Election.
To achieve this, the TMC chief has directed her lieutenants to corner the BJP-led Central government on various policy issues and Covid handling.
In a virtual meeting attended by TMC’s working committee, MLAs and poll strategist Prashant Kishor, Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of the chief minister, was appointed party’s national general secretary. According to leaders who were present in the meeting, Abhishek along with TMC MPs will concentrate on national politics. The TMC is also banking on Kishor’s acumen to increase its footprint beyond Bengal.
Another key leader in TMC’s scheme of things is former finance minister Yashwant Sinha, who joined the TMC just before the Assembly election.
A senior TMC leader said, “Didi clearly said in the meeting that the party should focus on the upcoming Lok Sabha election. And for that, party’s MPs will take extra responsibilities and organise many programmes in other states. For that Abhishek will obviously take the lead role. Prashant Kishore will help Abhishek on this strategy.”
The CM said that she has zero-tolerance for corruption and directed her leaders to maintain discipline. Ahead of the Assembly polls, corruption allegations in Amphan relief distribution had threatened to scotch TMC’s election campaign. In the meeting, she hinted that her party’s attack against the Central government on issues related to the Narada sting case and retired chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay would continue.
With many TMC rebel leaders lining up to return, the TMC chief will take a final decision on a case-to-case basis. She instructed party leaders that all turncoats would not be welcomed in the party. However, the party was ready to welcome all grassroots workers from the BJP.
“Didi will announce a committee which will decide the fate of turncoat leaders,” said another senior TMC leader.
“We are demanding again and again to roll back the GST on medical equipment and medicines used in Covid treatment. We are also demanding that the Central Government distribute vaccines free, and we will continue our protest for these demands,” TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said after the meeting.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee 
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