The BJP and Trinamool Congress are in battle-ready mode for the panchayat elections scheduled next year with both parties looking to maximise public outreach.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has begun holding administrative meetings across districts to meet her supporters. On November 30, she visited the remote areas of Sunderban-Hasnabad where she drove a boat for some time. When a villager requested Banerjee to eat with them, the chief minister readily agreed.
TMC insiders say Banerjee is known for her public connect and this December, she will try to reach out to her rural supporters.
The chief minister has also strengthened the government’s ‘Duare Sarkar’ (government at your doorstep) programme to ensure the public’s grievances are resolved though the BJP is confident that people will not listen to Banerjee any more.
Senior TMC leaders have been given the duty to reach out to villages, with sources saying Abhishek Banerjee will visit villages and hold public meetings.
On December 3, Abhishek Banerjee will hold a public meeting on BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s home turf Kanthi in East Medinipur. Senior Trinamool leaders are also camping in East Medinipur since party insiders say the TMC wants the best results from the area.
Adhikari, meanwhile, has reached court, stating that Abhishek Banerjee’s meeting has been organised to heckle his family .
On the other hand, the BJP has kick-started its panchayat campaign with actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty reaching out to supporters on behalf of the party.
On December 3, when Abhishek Banerjee lands on his home ground, Adhikari will conduct a meeting in his opponent’s area in South 24 Pargana apart from several rounds of meetings to formulate panchayat strategy.
In 2018, the panchayat elections took a violent turn and a huge number of seats were uncontested. The BJP reaped the benefit and got 18 seats in the Lok Sabha. Hence, this time, the TMC and BJP are leaving no stone unturned to win the crucial polls.
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