KOLKATA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit northern parts of West Bengal this month, amid demands by some BJP leaders there that the region be carved out of West Bengal and made a separate state or Union Territory.
It will be Shah’s first visit to the state after the BJP’s dismal performance in the recent Assembly elections, despite its high-octane campaign.
The visit also comes at a time when the party has seen a lot of its leaders joining the TMC. Two BJP MLAs returned to the TMC’s this week alone.
On Monday, Bishnupur MLA Tanmoy Ghosh defected to the TMC. The following day, MLA from Bagda Biswajit Das also left the saffron camp to join Mamata’s party.
Soon after the recent Assembly elections in the state, a section of BJP functionaries led by Alipurduar MP John Barla started demanding separate statehood for north Bengal or it be made a Union Territory. BJP’s state president Dilip Ghosh too supported the demand.
“Shah, as the Union Home Minister, is aware of the post Assembly poll realignment in north Bengal. This is why his visit has been planned,’’ said a senior BJP leader.
“For the first time since the Assembly elections, such a meeting has been convened,” said another BJP leader.
West Bengal chief minister also scheduled a five-day visit to north Bengal this month, which would be her first to the region since assuming office of the chief minister for the third straight term.
Meanwhile, BJP on Wednesday threatened legal action against its two MLAs who had joined the TMC earlier this week if they do not resign from the assembly within seven days.
Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, asserted that the party's legislators remain united.
"Despite winning 213 seats, the TMC is poaching opposition MLAs. Recently, two legislators had defected to the ruling party. For the last four months, both the MLAs have not kept any contact with the BJP and were absent from all party programmes and meetings. Now, they have joined the TMC for their gains," Adhikari told reporters.
He claimed the TMC has violated the anti-defection law as the leader of the ruling party in the assembly, Partha Chatterjee, himself included Das.
"We have sent letters to both the MLAs and asked them to clarify their stand. Otherwise, we take action as per law. The TMC should not confuse us with previous opposition parties. This is BJP, and we won't bow to them," he said.
Besides Adhikari, state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh, party spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya and its MLAs from south Bengal were present at the press conference here.
The party MLAs of North Bengal were present at another meeting held in Siliguri.
"If the TMC thinks they will not allow implementation of the anti-defection law, they are wrong," Adhikari said.
Das, a two-time legislator from the TMC, had switched over to the saffron camp in 2019.
He won from Bagda on a BJP ticket in the 2021 assembly polls.
Ghosh, who had joined the BJP just ahead of the state elections, returned to the TMC.
Earlier in June, BJP MLA and party's national vice-president Mukul Roy rejoined the TMC, four years after he left the Mamata Banerjee-led party to join the saffron camp.
The BJP won 77 of the 292 seats of the West Bengal assembly that were up for polls.
The Trinamool Congress won 213 assembly constituencies, while the ISF and the GJM bagged one seat each.
Bypolls are currently due in seven seats of the state.
All three turncoats -- Das, Roy and Ghosh -- continue to be BJP MLAs officially.
The BJP's state president, however, said one or two persons leaving the party won't have any impact on it.
"Some people had joined us before the elections, and now they are going back to the TMC. These leaders do not have nerves of steel to fight against the ruling party. As per the law, action will be taken against those elected leaders who are defecting," he said.
Mocking West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's claim that the state will again emerge as the number one destination for industries, the BJP said this is a "fake promise".
"Earlier, we have seen several business summits but there has hardly been any investment in the state in the last 10 years. We have heard many such false promises during the TMC rule," Bhattacharya said.
The pending bye-elections in seven assembly constituencies of West Bengal could be held before the Durga Puja festival in October and the state administration is fully prepared to conduct it at that time, officials of the state CEO's office informed the EC during a virtual meeting on Wednesday, sources said.
The seven seats are lying vacant due to deaths of candidates during the eight-phase assembly election held earlier this year or resignation of MLAs.
The ruling Trinamool Congress is keen on the by-polls as party supremo Mamata Banerjee, who lost the assembly election from Nandigram, will have to get elected within six months to continue as the CM.
In that case, the by-polls must be conducted by November 5.
"The festive season will continue from October 10 to October 24 and it is impossible to conduct the election at that time. So, the state has asked the Commission to conduct polls before the starting of the festive season."
"We have more than one month at hand. If the Commission makes the notification (for holding election in the seven seats) now, it is possible to conduct the polls before the Durga Puja, a senior state government official said.
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra on Wednesday held a virtual meeting with state Chief Secretary HK Diwedi.
Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain, who is in charge of the West Bengal assembly polls, and senior officials of the Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office attended the meeting.
The meeting was held to understand the situation and the preparedness of the state to hold bye-election to the seven assembly constituencies.
The EC officials enquired about the Covid-19 situation and flood situation in West Bengal, the official said.
"The EC has been given the dates of the Durga puja and the other festivities scheduled in October. They have been told that holding the election before the festivities would be the best idea," the source said.
The first-level checking of the EVMs & VVPATs for holding the by-election to the state Legislative Assembly is complete.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress state secretary Kunal Ghosh said, "The bye-elections should be held immediately. The BJP is not willing to hold polls. But they should remember that such negative politics won't yield any result as people have already voted for the TMC in the assembly election."
BJP state spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said the state government has not withdrawn the restrictions imposed due to the prevailing Covid situation but is concerned about holding polls.
The by-polls are due in the constituencies of Bhabanipur, Khardah, Gosaba, Shantipur, Jangipur, Samserganj and Dinhata.
Mamata Banerjee is expected to file nomination from Bhabanipur in Kolkata, which was vacated by winning TMC candidate Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, days after the results were declared.
(With PTI Inputs)