Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday clearly told leaders across Bengal that the party would not allow any uncontested victory in the forthcoming panchayat polls and it was a must for the candidates to pass through "free and fair election processes" like the Assembly and the Lok Sabha polls.

"The elections in 2023 will be completely different from what we witnessed in 2018," Abhishek reportedly said in no uncertain terms, making it clear that he would not allow a repeat of the last rural polls, which was marred by unprecedented uncontested victories of the ruling party nominees and large-scale violence.

"No one will be allowed to boss around in the process... There should not be any report of uncontested victories from any pockets. Forget about resisting the opposition in filing their nomination papers by indulging in violence or through intimidation. I would personally go and ensure the nomination of the opposition if there is an allegation of violence against you," a Trinamul leader quoted Abhishek as saying at a virtual meeting with party leaders in district and block levels across Bengal.

Abhishek presided over the meeting, which was also attended by the party's state president Subrata Bakshi.

"As an MLA or an MP has to pass through a process of election, each and every rural body member has to pass such a test," he apparently added.

Trinamul insiders said though Abhishek had been talking about "free and fair" rural polls this time, this is the first time that the topic was discussed threadbare and extensively in an internal party meeting, attended by 500-odd party leaders from district and block levels.

These leaders, a source said, would conduct the election for the party on the ground. "That's why today's message assumes so much significance," he added.

According to him, Abhishek said that the party would come down heavily on those who would get involved in violence during the election process. If there are reports of uncontested victory in any rural body, the party would thoroughly examine the matter and the concerned leaders would be punished, Abhishek said during the meeting.

Senior Trinamul leaders said the attempt to ensure free and fair elections this time is based on an understanding that the uncontested victories in rural polls in 2018 was responsible for the backlash in the next year's Lok Sabha polls in which the BJP bagged 18 out of the 42 seats in the state.

In the 2018 panchayat polls, Trinamul won 40-50 per cent of rural body seats uncontested and the percentage was more than 80 in districts like Birbhum.

"We want to assess our actual position in rural areas before the big fight in 2024," said a senior Trinamul leader in Calcutta.

Abhishek also asked senior Trinamul leaders like the MLAs and the MPs to give space to the younger leadership and steer clear of factionalism. Multiple sources confirmed that senior leaders like North Bengal development minister Udayan Guha and veteran leader Rabindranath Ghosh were pulled up for engaging in infighting and not doing enough political activities.

Abhishek also asked his leaders to reach out to all those deprived of 100 days' work and collect letters written by them as part of a party programme that aims to collect one crore signatures of those deprived of MGNREGA, the rural job scheme.

"We will send a list of those people who are deprived of 100 days' work for each district. Your duty is to reach out to everyone and collect a letter from them. We need one crore such letters which would be sent to the office of the Prime Minister and Panchayati Raj. We would take two lakh people to Delhi after a month for a massive protest," a leader quoted Abhishek as saying at the meeting.