In all 13 MLAs, MPs and former legislators belonging to Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the CPM on Saturday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah at a public rally in East Midnapore.
The hero of the show was no doubt Suvendu Adhikari, in whose home turf this saffron party show of strength was organized. Speaking on the occasion Amit Shah openly challenged chief minister Mamata Banerjee stating that the BJP would win more than 200 seats in the upcoming Assembly election in West Bengal. “By the time the election result is out, Didi would be left alone,” he thundered.
No doubt, it was Suvendu who stole the show, yet murmuring has started within the faction-ridden Bengal BJP as the party’s state boss Dilip Ghosh, Union minister Babul Supriyo and former Union minister Mukul Roy appeared to be overlooked.
Only a day earlier Supriyo had said that he would stall the entry of another TMC MLA Jitendra Tiwari who late on Friday night returned to the Mamata fold.
A couple of days back BJP workers in Bankura took out a demonstration protesting against the entry of a TMC leader Shyama Prasad Mukherjee into the party. A senior Bengal BJP office-bearer openly sided with those opposing the entry of leaders from other parties. A section of the Bengal BJP is worried over the entry of unwanted elements in the party and terming them only opportunists and turncoats, who have throughout been targeting the saffron party workers.
They are of the view that apart from Suvendu there is hardly any leader who has mass appeal and worth taking into the party. Many of them are those whom the TMC was about to deny ticket this time.
So far the joining by the CPM MLA Tapasi Mondal is concerned, it is a fact that she had done so as her party has completely lost the base and has no scope whatsoever in the next election.
Meanwhile, responding to Amit Shah’s speech the Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee said that the BJP is not going to win more than 50 seats.
The party once again charged that Amit Shah is a liar and outsider who wants to disturb peace in the state.
