Former Rajya Sabha MP and Editor of The Pioneer newspaper, Chandan Mitra has resigned from the BJP and most probably he is expected to join the Trinamool Congress (TMC). According to a PTI report, Chandan Mitra is likely to be present at TMC’s ‘martyrs’ day’ rally in Kolkata on Saturday. He told the Businessline that he has sent his resignation to the party president.
Chandan Mitra was a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from 2003 to 2009, after which in June 2010, the BJP got him elected to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh. His tenure ended in 2016. One of the reasons behind his resignation might be his discontent over not being nominated again to the Upper House of the parliament.
Politically, Chandan Mitra has become irrelevant. But the Lutyens’ media is super excited as if Amit Shah and Narendra Modi have left the party. For the Bharatiya Janta Party, an MLA quitting the Party is probably more consequential than the resignation of Chandan Mitra. In fact, it is good that BJP is getting rid opportunists. When a withered leaf falls a new green leaf is always there to take its place and strong grown trees cannot entertain withered leaves.
Chandan Mitra has been in the party for many years but no one knows anything about his contribution to the party. As media is considering his resignation as a huge setback for the BJP, so it becomes extremely pertinent to ask what exactly has his contributions been for the party? Chandan Mitra, on television, provided a weak defence for the party, most of the time he was dormant and despite running an extremely important and popular newspaper, Mitra has not been able to make any significant difference in the media’s coverage of the BJP. The BJP is working hard to change and make a better India but so-called intellectuals like Chandan Mitra hardly did anything to change the narrative in BJP’s favour. In the past few days, he appeared more on NDTV with his glib arguments. Despite being in politics for so many years, Mitra failed to make his mark in Indian politics. He has been a non-performer and in Modi government non-performers don’t get second chances. The BJP never encourages and entertain the Darbari culture.
In his home-state, West-Bengal, he has no clout whatsoever. Chandan Mitra contested Lok Sabha elections in 2014 from Hooghly and ended up with a humiliating defeat. He is clearly not a ground leader and is completely divorced from the ground realities. In West-Bengal, Mitra has hardly made any difference for the BJP.
If the BJP wants to spread its clout in West Bengal, it needs a strong, active and popular leader like Yogi Adityanath, who is capable of awakening the Bengali Hindu from his deep slumber. The BJP could shoulder responsibilities to people like Swami Aseemanand, Tapan Ghosh and other strong ground leaders. The RSS is making inroads to hitherto untouched pockets of West-Bengal and people like Mitra would have been an hindrance to it.
Chandan Mitra would continue to remain insignificant wherever he goes whether in TMC or in any other party. Why people are super enthusiastic about his quitting is incomprehensible.