Mamata warns party workers against infighting, asks them to reach out to masses

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday took stock of the TMC's organisational deficiencies in Hooghly district, where it faced a setback in the Lok Sabha election.

Miffed over the Trinamool Congress' performance in the district, the cradle of the party's anti-land acquisition movement in Singur, Banerjee warned party workers against infighting. She urged the "traitors" to leave the party rather than weakening it from inside.

The TMC chief held a two-hour-long closed-door meeting with the district unit leaders, after it lost the Hooghly Lok Sabha seat to the Bharatiya Janata Party and just managed to scrape through in Arambagh by a margin of 1,000 votes. In several assembly segments of the district, the BJP has taken a lead over the TMC in the general election.

"The party supremo (Mamata) has warned us against infighting and asked us to work unitedly," a senior district leader said on the condition of anonymity.

"She also said those who are more interested in switching over to the BJP are open to leave the party. She said there is no place for traitors in the party," the leader said.

The TMC chief also hit out at a section of the party leaders who had "surrendered" to the lure of money given by the BJP. She told TMC workers to prepare for 2021 assembly polls and expressed confidence that the party would bounce back.

"We have been asked to reach out to the masses and increase connect with them. We have been told to bring back the old-timers to the party fold," the leader said.

The TMC leader said they had been told to regain the party's lost ground in Singur, where it had lost this time.

Banerjee also suggested small meetings and gatherings in areas where the party was defeated.

"We have been asked to prepare a complete report on the grievances of the masses," the Trinamool leader added.