Veteran TMC MP Saugata Roy has courted controversy by claiming that a party should not be obsessed with organising fairs and tournaments (“khela and mela”) but rather focus on political activities, particularly when elections are near.
Opposition parties in West Bengal have long been accusing the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress of giving attention only to “khela and mela”, ignoring the serious development and administrative issues.
Roy was attending a ‘Bijoya Sammilani’ (post-Durga Puja meet to exchange greetings) at Baranagar, which falls under his Dumdum Lok Sabha constituency, on Friday night when he made the comments, leaving hundreds of TMC supporters and others present stunned.
“When a party gets busy prioritising fests and tournaments, it gradually loses its political soul. We must keep in mind that only six months are left before the assembly polls in the state.
“The party should put the focus on political course of action, on firming up strategy to cope with the …
