The Sonarpur Dakshin MLA made the remarks while addressing a public meeting in Pratapnagar area in South 24 Parganas district which saw thin attendance.
“We will monitor the results in every booth after the Lok Sabha elections. The booth president and members will have to resign if their booths do not get a lead in the region. Even the panchayat pradhan will have to resign. A village pradhan’s job is not limited to just panchayat-related work. They have to work for the party too,” the actor-turned-politician said.
Warning her party workers, she said, “There is a Lok Sabha election after two months. Only half of the names given by the booth committees attended the meeting.”
“Every booth in every region has some people who don’t belong to any party. They are with the TMC in the morning, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at night and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the afternoon. Our region is suffering today because of all these people,” said Maitra.
She asked her party members to resign from their posts if they couldn’t assure a lead for the TMC in the Lok Sabha polls.
“People are voting but you are not doing your duty properly. Half of the booth members did not attend the meeting because they are not completing their responsibilities properly. A booth-based workers’ conference before the polls should not look like this. The panchayat chief and deputy chief talk big. When I call them, they say that the situation in the region is very good…Today, after seeing the number of absentees, I am feeling like you all should quit,” she added.
Maitra also said the TMC didn’t want workers who “can’t take any responsibilities”. “I will talk to Didi (West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee) and Abhishek da (party MP Abhishek Banerjee). We do not want such people who will sit dressed like party workers but won’t take responsibilities. You will be a member but will not take any responsibility,” she said.
“The party will take whatever action it can, if you fail to perform. Party thakle rojgaar thakbe (Your earnings will continue only if the party is in power). I know everything, I get all the information….how you are earning.”
Sunday’s meeting at Pratapnagar was a part of district and block-level meetings being organised by the TMC ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.