Newly-inducted MLAs widening cracks in Bengal BJP?

A section of functionaries in BJP’s Bengal chapter raised question on what will be the electoral dividend the party will get in the upcoming Assembly elections by inducting four MLAs.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah (Photo | EPS/shekhar yadav)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah (Photo | EPS/shekhar yadav)

KOLKATA: Even as the saffron camp recently inducted four MLAs from Trinamool and Congress, a section of functionaries in the Bengal BJP has raised questions over the electoral dividend the party will get in the upcoming assembly state elections. The functionaries have stated that none of these MLAs from Nagrakata, Gazole, Barrackpore and Purulia seats managed to secure a lead for their own party in last year's general elections. BJP was leading on all the four assembly seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. 

Other than Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee’s trusted lieutenant, seven TMC MLAs, two from Left front, one Congress legislator and one ruling party’s sitting MP joined the BJP in a mega joining event in the presence of Amit Shah on December 19.

Three TMC MLAs, Sukra Munda from Nagrakata, Dipali Biswas from Gazole, Shilbhadra Dutta from Barrackpore and Congress legislator Sudip Mukherjee were among those who changed their political alignment and joined the BJP. Dipali, who was elected in the 2016 Assembly elections on CPI(M) ticket, had later defected to the BJP.

"On these four seats, the TMC secured victory in the 2016 Assembly elections. But in the tooth and nail fight in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, our party performed impressively in these four Assembly constituencies and the sitting MLAs contested our candidates. As a performer on behalf of the ruling party, these four elected representatives failed to deliver in their own turfs. How will their inclusion in the BJP help us to secure electoral dividend in the upcoming Assembly polls,’’ said a senior BJP leader.

Intra-party discontent among the functionaries in the BJP’s lower-tier surfaced after a number of party workers migrated from the TMC and joined the saffron camp. The party’s old workers expressed their displeasure opposing the entry of new faces in the party who used to be their arch-rivals. Many district-level leaders were against the inclusion of the newcomers who allegedly unleashed attacks on the foot-soldiers of the BJP.

Sources in the BJP’s state leadership said the party’s national leadership is taking the final call on the inclusion of workers from other political parties. 

"The leaders in Delhi are taking the decisions. Our opinion or objection has no role to play,’’ said a BJP leader.

The heat of discontent reached the BJP’s state-level hierarchy and the party had to showcause one of the general secretaries Sayantan Basu and women wing president Agnimitra Paul for opposing the inclusion of TMC MLA Jitendra Tiwari.

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