TMC to address 'organizational lapses' in Jangalmahal area

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) today said it will look into the "organizational lapses" in Jhargram district, where the BJP made steady inroads in the last panchayat polls, and has asked the party cadres to enhance outreach in the area.

The Jungalmahal area, comprising forested areas of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts, bucked the trend in TMC's near-sweep of the polls, with the BJP bagging a chunk of the panchayat seats in the region.

The TMC lost 28 gram panchayats of the 79 in Jhargram district in the polls held last month. In 2013, the TMC had won 74 of the 79 rural bodies.

TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said BJP had won some seats in the area because of the "money and muscle power".

"There is need to have special attention towards the organization in Jhargram district where in some pockets we have won less seats. In some araes, contact with the masses has been affected. The BJP has used money and muscle power to win votes," Chatterjee said.

The people of Jhargram are still with the TMC. We have asked our party cadres to increase mass contact, he said.

Chatterjee had recently visisted Jhargram and held series of meetings with the district leadership following the panachayat poll results.

Reacting to the allegations, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh accussed the TMC of "unleashing terror" in the Jangalmahal area.

The TMC is trying to "terrorise" Jangalmahal as the people had voted against the party in the panchayat polls, Ghosh said.