The Trinamool Congress on Sunday said thousands of youth joined the party as part of its drive to bring in more young people into its fold. While the COVID-19 outbreak has hit economic activities in West Bengal, the State is simultaneously witnessing a surge in membership drive launched by the ruling party and the opposition parties.
“The Trinamool Congress is committed to nurturing next-generation leaders and believes this will provide a platform to new faces, who registered through Youth in Politics [YIP], a first-of-its-kind, pan-India platform for youth between 18 and 35 years of age who want to join active electoral politics ,” a party statement said.
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The membership drive launched in 14 districts was facilitated by I-PAC and party leaders Mahua Moitra and Laxmi Ratan Shukla.
Trinamool Congress youth wing president Abhishek Banerjee on August 12 said that “about six lakh Jubo Joddhas [Youth Warriors] have selflessly dedicated their time to provide assistance and reach out to distressed during this dual crises of COVID and Amphan.” The Trinamool under the leadership of Mr. Banerjee is trying to rope in new faces before the 2021 Assembly poll.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership too launched a membership drive. The initiative “Amar Poribar, BJP Poribar [My Family, BJP Family],” was launched by State party president Dilip Ghosh. The State leadership also launched toll-free mobile numbers for new members. The BJP leadership, including party president J.P. Nadda, through a number of virtual rallies, has repeatedly targeted the ruling Trinamool in West Bengal.
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While there is a cap on large political gatherings, political activities have not come to a halt during the COVID-19 outbreak in West Bengal. With elections scheduled for next year, these membership drives are only preparations before the final electoral contest scheduled next year.
