NEW DELHI: Over a dozen leaders from Odisha and West Bengal have switched to the saffron camp over the past few weeks giving a strong indication of the BJP’s ‘East India mission’.
The induction of regional heavyweights has raised the BJP’s hopes for a better performance in the two states despite lacking organisational structure and cadre strength.
In West Bengal, a factional feud within the ruling Trinamool Congress has come as an advantage for the BJP which is seeking to field ‘winnable’ candidates in the state that sends 42 Lok Sabha MPs.
A few days ago, TMC’s Bhatpura MLA Arjun Singh joined the BJP and it’s being said his defection might cost the party dearly. Singh is considered to be an influential leader and sources claimed that TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee intervened to try and stop him. Singh, known as a strongman, controls more than one assembly segment in North 24 Paragana district.
According to BJP sources, some other leaders from West Bengal are likely to join BJP.
BJP insiders claim the party’s ‘look east’ strategy started about two years ago, with the entry of heavyweight Mukul Roy. He started working on a bigger plan to bring regional faces to the saffron camp.
Sources said Roy has been in touch with many TMC leaders keeping in mind the BJP’s target of winning 22 of 42 Lok Sabha seats.
In Odisha, BJP chief Amit Shah has set an ambitious target of winning 120 of the 147 Assembly seats and 12 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats. BJP reached out to former BJD leader Baijayant Panda, who fell out with Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik and made him party’s national vice-president. Thereafter, more than half-a-dozen BJD leaders switched side.
However, political observers warn that distributing tickets to new entrants is not always a wise move and can backfire.
“In both the States, factionalism is there even in the BJP. For example, in West Bengal, state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh is not on good terms with campaign committee chief Mukul Roy,” said an analyst.