Trinamul has decided to deploy parliamentary constituency coordinators (PCCs) in at least 38 of Bengal's 42 Lok Sabha seats, for a SWOT (strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats) analysis ahead of the election.
A source said that a tentative list of the PCCs was prepared and was likely to be approved soon after observing the outcome of the first meeting of the coordination committee of the national anti-BJP bloc INDIA on September 13. So far, the four seats Trinamul plans to leave without PCCs include the two seats with Congress MPs, in case a seat-sharing arrangement materialises with the INDIA ally.
The PCCs will work with the local leaders, to first assess the acceptability of the party’s existing Lok Sabha MPs. In the case of seats where the party has no MP, the PCCs will try to find the best candidates.
“It would be easier for the party to finalise the list of the PCCs once the INDIA constituents decide seat-sharing among the allies. We have selected the names of 38 such PCCs so far. The matter is likely to be finalised after our chairperson Mamata Banerjee returns from the Spain-UAE trip,” said a senior Trinamul leader. The chief minister is likely to be abroad between September 12 and 23.
The Trinamul dispensation also wants to reshuffle its organisation in various Bengal districts, with the objective of putting its best foot forward for the general election.
Trinamul leaders said appointing a PCC for each constituency was decided by the supreme leadership after the lessons learned from the 2019 polls, when the BJP bagged an unprecedented 18 of the state’s Lok Sabha seats. The number is 17 now, after BJP losing the bypoll in Asansol to Trinamul's Shatrughan Sinha.
“In 2019, there were reports that people, including local party leaders, did not accept the candidates fielded by the party. The selection of candidates was one among many reasons that caused the underwhelming performance (by Trinamul). Now the party wants to start the process of candidate selection as soon as possible,” said a Trinamul leader.
A source said the decision to appoint a PCC for each constituency was taken to assess the status of the party's organisational strength, and whether the people and local leaders were satisfied with the performance of the incumbents in the case of Trinamul’s 23 Lok Sabha MPs, including bypoll winner Sinha.
In the 17 seats presently with the BJP MPs, the Trinamul PCCs themselves could be the first choice as candidates, a source said.
“Although all the PCCs might not be candidates for the party in the seats with BJP MPs, many of them could be fielded, if they are accepted among the leaders. Otherwise, they would take care of the party’s organisational affairs and political activities on the ground,” said the source.
After the outcome of the Dhupguri Assembly bypoll, a section of the Trinamul leaders have started suggesting that it would be better for the party to fight the Lok Sabha polls without an alliance with INDIA constituents like the CPM and the Congress in Bengal.
In the Dhupguri contest, Trinamul nominee Nirmal Chandra Roy won by a slender margin of 4,309 votes, defeating the BJP’s Tapasi Roy. Congress-backed CPM candidate Ishwar Chandra Roy secured over 13,758 votes. The CPM and the Congress are part of INDIA.
A Trinamul leader said in a 1:1 fight, the votes won by CPM or Congress candidates — mostly anti-Trinamul votes — could have gone to the BJP, which would have meant certain defeat for the ruling party.
BJP leaders like the leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, have already attacked the CPM and the Congress for allegedly helping Trinamul by taking part in the election.
“The party's top brass is weighing the pros and the cons of sharing seats with INDIA constituents in Bengal. It appears that three or four-cornered poll battles may be better rather than the one-against-one model,” said a Trinamul leader in Calcutta.
