Don't repeat Bihar mistakes, target 100% EF submission: TMC's Abhishek Banerjee tells party leaders

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday said his party should target that 100 per cent of the enumeration forms which have been distributed by the Election Commission to voters in West Bengal are submitted.

Addressing over 25,000 party leaders and workers over virtual mode, Banerjee referred to the recently-concluded Bihar elections and insisted that the TMC should not repeat the "mistakes" committed by the opposition parties in the neighbouring state.

"Submission of enumeration forms should be our bird's eye focus," a source quoted Banerjee as saying in the meeting which was attended by TMC MPs, MLAs, state and district leaders across party categories.

"Not 99 per cent. We must ensure 100 per cent submission of enumeration forms. Our war rooms should remain on high alert. Our MLAs should lead the charges on this extremely important factor of the upcoming polls," Banerjee said while stating that the party would extend its ongoing 'Vote Suraksha' camps till January 31, next year.

Banerjee cautioned his party leaders against the "complacency and slackness that seems to have gripped some sections after the initial energy shown during the first week" since the form distribution by BLOs began on November 4, party sources said.

"Did you see what happened in Bihar? Voters who had their names listed in the draft rolls found their names missing when they entered polling stations to vote. The opposition parties could not play their roles adequately there. Our job is to stop vote theft and catch the thieves," Banerjee said.

Banerjee, sources said, called the EC a "BJP-aiding body" and declared that the state has so far lost 35 citizens, "including three BLOs who died on account of mental stress" caused on account of "snobbery, arrogance and insolence" of the commission.

"This is why we termed the SIR exercise as a shameless attempt to deprive people of their rights," Banerjee, considered number two in the party, said.

Stating that he personally keeps track of the activities of his leaders or the lack of them on a twenty four-by-seven basis, Banerjee gave a heads up on "Stage two" of the party's SIR engagement which would begin post December 9, after the draft rolls are published.

"We should assist all people who do not have requisite data for the rolls. Not a single eligible voter should be left out of the list," he said.

Banerjee conveyed that he built two separate teams of senior leaders of TMC and party MPs with separate job briefs.

"The first team comprising senior leaders would move to the districts and stay put there for the next nine days till December 4, the last day of collection of enumeration forms. They will visit war rooms and I will hold daily meetings with them with their respective district reports," the leader conveyed in the meeting.

The 10 designated MPs, Banerjee said, would seek appointments with the Election Commission in Delhi and submit complaints to ECI Gyanesh Kumar, based on what the party has seen and observed in the state so far.

"Take video clips of family members who have died during the course of SIR implementation to Mr Kumar and hold him accountable for these deaths which were forced by unplanned implementation of the exercise," he said.

"Tell him (Kumar) to remain prepared for a large-scale mass movement from Bengal. Let him know that Bengal's pitch is different from that of Bihar. Our workers know how to conduct elections," Banerjee added.

Banerjee also instructed party MLAs to converse with at least 15 BLOs every day for the next 10 days over video calls or in person.

"We will never recover these 10 days if we do not make optimal use of them. Our performance over the next 150 days would determine the future of Bengal for the next 20 years," sources confirmed Banerjee to have said.

Expressing concern over the "low percentage" of distribution and submission of enumeration forms in North and South Kolkata, Banerjee said separate reviews would be held for the city over the next nine days to ensure 100 per cent coverage.

"There could be differences of opinions among some leaders. But slackness in duties at the time of war will not be forgotten by the people or the party," he warned a section of party functionaries involved in factional feuds.