Trinamul Congress leaders in districts on Sunday started meeting the party’s dissidents to convince them to withdraw their nominations as Independents for the July 8 panchayat elections.
Trinamul chairperson Mamata Banerjee had on Saturday requested the dissidents to withdraw their nominations. During an internal meeting of Trinamul at her Kalighat residence, she made it clear that the rebels wouldn’t be taken back in the party even if they won the polls.
Even after multiple warnings by Trinamul national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee during his two-month outreach drive to steer clear of contesting as Independents, 11,930 additional “Trinamul” candidates filed their nominations, over and above the official candidates for the 73,887 seats.
A source said the number of dissidents, around 16 per cent of the total seats, is a considerable threat to the party, as most of them are outgoing incumbents at various rural bodies.
“The top leadership in Calcutta asked district Trinamul office-bearers immediately after the chief minister’s message to reach out to those Independents to ensure their withdrawal from the fray. The instruction to the trouble-shooters is to lure the rebels with the offer of organisational posts,” said a senior Trinamul leader.
Trinamul has also formed a 50-member team to visit the districts over the next few days to convince the Independents to opt out of the July 8 contest before June 20, the last date for the withdrawal of their nominations.
Trinamul insiders said the party had taken a three-way strategy to manage the Independents. First, the trouble-shooters will convey the message from Mamata. Second, they will offer the reluctant rebel candidates organisational chairs according to their political weight. Third, those who stand firm beyond the last date for the withdrawal of the nominations will be given an ultimatum and told to campaign for the official candidates, instead of themselves.
“The party will immediately suspend those with whom none of the three works. That is the stern instruction from both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee,” said a leader.
Hooghly and Murshidabad are among the districts where the number of Independent candidates is high. In Hooghly, there are 4,383 rural body seats in total and 6,366 “Trinamul” candidates have filed nominations.
In Murshidabad, which has 6,419 rural body seats, 1,417 additional nominations were filed.
“We are reaching out to all those who have decided to contest as Independents. There are so many organisational posts where those party colleagues could be accommodated. However, the party will take action against those who refuse to pull out of the contest,” said Snehasish Chakraborty, transport minister and a senior Trinamul leader in Hooghly district.