Kolkata, Apr 25 (PTI) The ruling TMC in Bengal, which recently faced criticisms over Birbhum killings and a series of rape cases, has decided to launch a mass outreach programme from May 5, the first anniversary of the the Mamata Banerjee-led government's third tenure in the state.

According to TMC sources, the programme, yet to be christened, would, in all likelihood, give common people an opportunity to register the complaints and grievances, much like the successful 'Didi ke Bolo' (Tell Didi) initiative.

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During a meeting with the party leaders last month, Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had said that the party would float an outreach initiative soon.

The sources also said that the new programme was the brainchild of TMC's political adviser and strategist Prashant Kishor and his I-PAC team.

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A senior TMC leader said on the condition of anonymity that the campaign was aimed at channelising the energy of cadres, who had mostly been sitting idle after last year's assembly polls.

"From May 5, on the occasion of the first anniversary of our third term, we will launch a new mass outreach campaign. The programme aims to identify problems and ensure that they are resolved at the earliest.

"It will also help us identify grassroots leaders who, due to their arrogance, have alienated the party from the masses. These leaders will be asked to fall in line or step aside," the TMC leader said.

He also stated that the party's image had taken a hit owing to the negative publicity generated by opposition leaders recently.

"We need to ensure an image makeover before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," the senior leader added.

The first edition of 'Didi ke Bolo' (Tell Didi) was launched by Banerjee on July 29, 2019, just months after the BJP bagged 18 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, bringing down TMC's tally from 34 to 22.

In the first phase of 'Didi ke Bolo', a helpline number and a website 'didikebolo.com' were launched by Banerjee. Hundreds of TMC leaders and MLAs had visited villages and towns to address grievances of people.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)