West Bengal Assembly Elections | 10 years on, Mamata pushes tough rebranding
The Hindu
Any political chatter in West Bengal quickly veers into grassroots corruption by the functionaries of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), who themselves do not deny its ubiquity. “Yes, our people have taken money,” says Prasun Sarangi, sitting on a sidewalk in a dimly lit market in Jhargram, a town surrounded by vast forests and tribal hamlets in Jangalmahal. “But it is Didi [Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee] who has admitted to this fact, and has promised action...and she is herself the candidate in all 294 constituencies of West Bengal...these local leaders do not matter,” said the district vice president of the TMC.
Even opponents of the TMC appear to concede a certain moral high ground for the two-term CM, who is fiercely fighting for a third, in the face of strong anti-incumbency. “Didi cannot be blamed. It is the local leaders who have fleeced us. They made so much money and live lavish lives,” said Furqan Ali, a garment shop owner in Haroa in North 24 Parganas. He has switched his loyalty to the Indian Secular Front (ISF), a new party launched by Islamic cleric Abbas Siddiqui, which is in alliance with the Left Front and the Congress. Also read: Trinamool Congress manifesto promises universal basic income, student credit cardMore Related News