Trinamool leaders to visit over 2,000 villages, wards

Around 600 Block and Town Presidents of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress are visiting more than 2,000 villages and civic wards across the state from Tuesday following in the footsteps of party MLAs and other senior leaders as part of the mass reach out campaign 'Didi Ke Bolo', party sources said.

The campaign would continue over the next ten days.

'Didi Ke Bolo' ('Talk to Didi' - elder sister, as Chief Minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee is fondly called) is a elpline for people to reach out to the government with their grievances.

The Block and Town Presidents would interact with the locals and inform the citizens about the 'Didi Ke Bolo' platform, how they can use and benefit from it.

During the interaction with the locals, the leaders will listen to their suggestions and expeditiously address their problems, the sources said.

"In case there are any issues that cannot be resolved, the leader will be responsible for bringing it to the notice of Mamata Banerjee and her office," a source said.

During the campaign, the leaders will visit a pre-identified village or urban habitation - planned as per the list provided by the party.

Upon arrival at the village/urban habitation, they will have an informal meeting with party members and visit three-five key influencers alongside the party workers.

"They will take the feedback of the influencers - to be selected as par a party list - on local issues, and encourage them to take the initiative to every household," a source said.

The leaders will interact with people over a three-hour long 'Jana Sangjog Sabha' (mass contact meeting) to understand their problems and "make every possible effort to resolve them".

All the unresolved issues will be collated and shared with Banerjee and her office using 'Didi Ke Bolo' platform.

"'Didi Ke Bolo' visiting cards and other collaterals will be distributed among the locals, so that they have the number for their use, as and when required," they said.

The visiting leaders will have dinner with local party cadre and booth-level members, at the house of a party member, and spend the night at the residence of a party member or supporter.

The next morning, the leaders will visit households in the village with the party workers and reiterate information about the 'Didi Ke Bolo' initiative, besides thanking them for their participation and cooperation

The visit will end with the hoisting of the Trinamool flag at a pre-identified venue of significance.

The initiative was launched by Mamata Banerjee on July 29, with Trinamoool's elected representatives and key party functionaries, in the presence of media. It was followed by similar launch events across the state, by the elected representatives and key party functionaries in 1,000 plus locations over the next three-five days.

The campaign is a brainchild of election strategist Prashant Kishor, who was roped in after the state's ruling party fared badly in this year's Lok Sabha elections where the BJP tally jumped to 18 seats from just 2 in 2014.

After Kishor agreed to offer his professional service to Trinamool Congress, he advised Banerjee to start a 'conversation' with her electorate where they can pour their heart out.IANS