During the organisational elections of Trinamool Congress in Kolkata on Wednesday, representatives of the party from other States were also invited to give an impression that the party has grown outside West Bengal. However, when party chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed party supporters, she emphasised “charity begins at home” and said that party will have to continue to grow in the State from where it has taken birth.
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Enthused with the success of the party in the West Bengal Assembly polls, the Trinamool Congress made bid to extend its influence in Goa and Tripura among other. The party started nominating leaders to Rajya Sabha who could help the party in extending footprints outside West Bengal. The nomination of Sushmita Dev and Luizinho Faleiro to Rajya Sabha was aimed to achieve this objective.
Speaking about the party’s prospects in Goa that will go to polls on February 14, Ms. Banerjee said that Trinamool Congress got only three to four months to campaign in Goa. “ We have at least set up party unit in Goa,” party chairperson said. Trinamool’s biggest name in Goa and party’s national vice-president Mr. Faleiro has decided not to contest Assembly polls in the State and as on February 2 there was no official word on whether Ms. Banerjee will campaign in Goa in the next few days. The Chief Minister also said that the Trinamool is a party born from West Bengal and party workers across the country should be aware of the history of struggle of the party in the State.
The developments are an indication that the party chairpersonis trying to regulate party’s national ambitions, if not restrict it. Sources in the party said that Mamata Banerjee during a meeting with MPs ahead of the Budget Session had made it clear that expanding party in West Bengal is going to be the priority of the party. The party chairperson had also said she will try to keep a closer look at party’s organisation.
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On Wednesday, Ms. Banerjee urged party supporters to win all the 42 Lok Sabha seats from West Bengal in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Political observers feel that Ms. Banerjee is being more “conservative and realist” as faras national ambitions of the Trinamool Congress is concerned compared to emerging young leadership of the party.
“ Mamata Banerjee is well aware that the party is getting isolated by desperately trying to extend its influence and repeatedly target the Congress. She certainly wants to keep checks and balances as far as the national ambitions of the Trinamool Congress,” political observer and psephologist Biswanath Chakraborty said.
Professor Chakraborty also added that the strategy of extending party’s influence in other States through Rajya Sabha nominations has not seemed to work and the focus of the party tobe back on West Bengal.