Kolkata, July 31: Former West Bengal Cabinet Minister and suspended Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee has been in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for over a week now but the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hasn’t been able to capitalise on an issue as sensitive as corruption in the recruitment of teachers.
Save for a few token demonstrations in Kolkata and the suburbs, the BJP hasn’t made any effort to mobilise support in rural areas till now. This has led to criticism from a section of leaders who want an all-out campaign to start before the Panchayat Elections in West Bengal in 2023.
“We have 71 MLAs in West Bengal and the Left Front has none. Yet, the Left has started organising protest rallies and meetings in the districts, particularly in small towns and rural areas. Our top leadership is in Kolkata, holding press meets to counter the Trinamool Congress’ claims.
The Trinamool Congress is on the backfoot now, however much the party may try to put up a brave front. This is the time to strike at the grassroots level. After all, a large number of eligible candidates denied jobs as teachers due to this racket are from small towns and villages. Somehow, our leadership fails to understand this,” a BJP MLA said.
On Sunday, state BJP president and MP Sukanta Majumdar said that people in West Bengal have realised by now that the Trinamool Congress is corrupt.
That may be true but what alternatives do people in villages have where the BJP has not been able to make inroads.
Apart from 71 MLAs, the Party also has 16 Lok Sabha MPs from the state.
This should have provided the necessary backing to create strong units in rural areas.
After all, its a well known fact that Panchayat Elections in West Bengal have been marred by violence and intimidation.
Several video clips, on eligible candidates unable to get jobs, have already started doing the round. (IANS)
