Mamata Banerjee to give directions to party leaders

A general council meeting of the Trinamool Congress has been convened on May 30 where party supremo Mamata Banerjee is expected to give directions to party leaders on various issues to consolidate the party's gains in the Lok Sabha polls.

The TMC has fought off the Modi wave in West Bengal by notching up a tally of 34 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats, its biggest success in the elections to the Lower House in Parliament.

"A general council meeting of the party has been convened on May 30 which will be attended by newly-elected Lok Sabha members, Rajya Sabha MPs, state ministers, MLAs and other leaders," a party leader said.

According to party sources, in a recent meeting, Banerjee gave House action brief to the newly-elected Lok Sabha MPs, asking them to attend the House sessions regularly and follow party directives instead of expressing individual opinions.

At another meeting, she has sent out a strong message to a section of party leaders, including ministers, following the defeat of party nominees on some seats. She is understood to have said that party leaders should act unitedly after expressing dissatisfaction with a section of them, including a few Cabinet Ministers.

Among them were State Agriculture Minister Moloy Ghatak, who was assigned the task of managing the election at Asansol in Bardhaman district, and Sabitri Mitra, Minister of Social Welfare, who is the district president of Malda and the Tourism Minister Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury also from the same district.

While the TMC lost the Asansol seat to the BJP candidate Babul Supriya, the party finished third in both the seats in Malda district, which went to the Congress.

Ghatak had to give up the post of Agriculture Minister by resigning from the ministry as per the directive of the Chief Minister.

Banerjee had asserted that her party's 34-seat tally in the State was a massive triumph and said her party would play a big role in the interest of the people. The TMC chief said, "34 out of 42 is a clear-cut mandate, specially fighting on our own."