Before panchayat polls, TMC conducts outreach with much fanfare, hits pockets of turbulence

Since January 11, TMC legislators have been touring rural West Bengal as part of the party’s “Didir Suraksha Kavach (Didi’s Protective Shield)” initiative to reach out to people and embark on an image-makeover campaign ahead of the panchayat elections. Since its victory in the Assembly elections in 2021, the TMC’s image has taken a hit over allegations of political violence and scams. To date, several TMC leaders have faced questions during the outreach and, in some instances, there have been protests.

“It is an attempt to reach out to people and find out if anyone has been deprived of any social welfare schemes. We want to maximise the impact and help them access all the schemes. It is also a way to learn whether they are facing any difficulties in accessing the schemes,” Majumdar told The Indian Express when it visited him during the campaign.

The outreach was announced on January 2 by TMC chairperson and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee who said almost 3.5 lakh party workers would visit around two crore households in two months. She said the programme would focus on highlighting 15 state government schemes — Khadya Sathi, Banglar Awas Yojana, Nijo Griha Nijo Bhumi, Swasthya Sathi, Kanyashree, Sikshashree, Aikyashree, Student Credit Card, Lakshmir Bhandar, Krishak Bandhu, Samajik Suraksha Yojana, Manabik Pension, Jai Bangla Pension, Bidhaba Bhata, and Yuvasree.

As part of the campaign, the party has also launched the “Didi r Doot (Didi’s Messenger)” initiative. It will see five TMC youth workers in each block get trained and then tasked with visiting households to note down the grievances.

Sitting in the garden of a local TMC leader’s home, Majumdar ate lunch with the party colleague and locals. On the menu were rice, daal, vegetables, fish, chutney, papad, and sweets.

“This is also a part of our schedule,” said the MLA. “On the day of the campaigning, we start the day by visiting households. Then, we have lunch with party workers and local people. Later, we will hold a meeting with panchayat members on the issues raised by the people. Later, in the night, I will attend a worker’s meeting where five ‘doots’ will be selected and they will be given training on how to conduct the rest of the campaign.”

Among the TMC leaders who have faced questions, and in some cases protests, during the outreach drive are Majumdar; MPs Sougata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, and Satabdi Roy; MLA Ashis Banerjee; state ministers Jyotipriya Mullick and Rathin Ghosh; and functionaries such as Kunal Ghosh and Debangshu Bhattacharya.

As The Indian Express trailed Majumdar during the campaign, a woman complained to him about the faulty sewerage system in the area. “Before every election, leaders come here to seek our votes. But why has the sewerage system outside our house not been improved? What is the panchayat doing?” asked 48-year-old Chaitali Mondal.

Stumped by the question, the MLA quickly moved on to the next house. Mondal, meanwhile, said, “This is nothing but a drama. The local panchayat does no work. Why should we vote for the ruling party?”

Another local resident, Jiten Malik (45), said, “Corruption has to stop. We must be able to receive the benefits of these schemes without hassle.”

When asked about people’s grievances, Majumdar said, “We are not gods that we can claim that 100 per cent of the work has been done. We are here to find out what more to be done.”

About 50 km away, senior party leader Tapas Roy attended a workers’ meeting at the Bilkanda-II gram panchayat area in the Khardaha Assembly constituency of North 24 Parganas district.

“The government is working round the clock. Then why are you having doubts (about winning the panchayat election)? Remember, panchayat is our priority. We have to win the election,” said Roy.

In his brief speech, the TMC leader appealed to the workers to reach out to people and address their grievances. He told The Indian Express after the meeting, “People have certain demands; they want to see more development. We have noted everything down. Of course, some problems need to be sorted out. But the initiative is a unique one as people want to see its leaders reaching out to them.”

On January 15, TMC state minister Arup Roy, accompanied by Panchla MLA Gulshan Mullick, was showered with flower petals as he visited the Biki Hakola gram panchayat in Howrah’s Panchla Assembly constituency on January 15. In some places, women welcomed him by blowing conch shells. The minister, surrounded by TMC workers, spent the day visiting clubs, temples, mosques, health centres, and schools, and was seen playing carrom between party programmes.

A section of people, however, complained that they did not get a chance to talk with him about their grievances. “I submitted my application for Lakshmir Bhandar scheme long back with bank details. But I have yet to receive the money in my account. I am a domestic worker and it is not possible for me to run pillar to post day after day for this,” said 59-year-old Parul Singh. She wanted to speak to the minister but said he couldn’t get close to him as he was surrounded by TMC workers.

After a group of health workers complained to the minister about the lack of a washroom at a health sub-centre, Roy directed Mullick to look into the matter. After checking the health centres in Biki Hakola, Roy and his party workers returned to the local school where lunch — biryani — was organised. Roy did not eat, saying “a close relative has died and as per rituals I am not supposed to eat food cooked outside”.

The minister told The Indian Express, “Everyone in Bengal trusts Didi. Didi has launched 15 schemes for people but it is also important for people to know which one is for whom and how to claim it. Our objective is to help people get the benefits of schemes.”

Asked about TMC leaders facing protests in some areas — Rampurhat MLA Ashis Banerjee on January 24 faced protests in Mohammad Bazar, Birbhum district, with people calling him a “comet” as he had allegedly been seen in the area after a long time — and some people complaining during his visit that they had not received welfare benefits, Roy said, “There can be one or two such cases. We assure anyone who comes to us will be assisted. In some panchayat areas, representatives don’t maintain relationships regularly for reasons best known to them. I always believe that people should have access to the local MLA, they should be able to reach out to them when in need. I am always available to people. This initiative is a great opportunity for many MLAs who, for various reasons, have failed to connect with party workers and voters.”

Hitting out at the TMC, BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said, “The TMC is wasting its time. It has been rejected by people. Their corruption and unethical activities have been exposed. They are seeking forgiveness which they will not get. The government has failed to provide good governance. It is time they are ousted from power. This kind of initiative will not help the ruling party win elections if their leaders do not mend their corrupt ways.”

Senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said the entire exercise was nothing but the TMC’s attempt to seek forgiveness from people for its misdeeds. “TMC knows very well that people are angry over their conduct. They have decided not to vote for them after their leaders were involved in various scams. Therefore, it is an attempt to win them back. People are expressing their discontent by staging protests against such leaders.”

Maidul Islam, a political scientist at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, said the outreach would help the TMC understand the “deep-seated anger” against its local leadership. “If the Trinamool can address those concerns then it will sweep the panchayat elections. If not then it may hamper the party’s expected prospects in some districts,” he said.