In another interesting development in West Bengal, BJP’s candidate from the Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency, Arjun Singh has made some gripping comments. Arjun Singh claimed on Wednesday that more than 100 MLA of the TMC are going to switch over to the BJP. “Around 100 legislators from the ruling Trinamool Congress are ready to join the BJP,” Singh told media persons. Arjun Singh who recently jumped ship from the Trinamool congress is a four time MLA from the Bhatpara assembly constituency. When questioned if some ministers are also planning to join the BJP, Arjun Singh said “I won’t make any comment on this because the moment I say yes, these ministers will be sacked,”
TMC dismissed all the claims made by Arjun Singh. “It seems Arjun Singh has lost his mental balance. Have you seen a single Trinamool MLA so far who has followed him to the BJP,” asked Jyotipriya Mallick, state Food and Supplies Minister and Trinamool’s North 24 Parganas district President however recent trends of leaders from the TMC switching over to the BJP are not a positive sign for TMC’s electoral plans for the ensuing general elections.
Amid serious pressure over the law and order situation in West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee government is struggling to save its fort. TMC has been seeing defections of senior party leaders to the BJP. Trinamool MP’s Saumitra Khan and Anupam Hazra had switched over to the BJP in the recent past. “There is a syndicate raj in Bengal, especially in Bankura district. Democracy does not exist in Bengal and the entire state is being ruled by ‘pishi’ and ‘bhaipo’ (aunty and nephew, referring to Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee),” said Saumitra Khan “Law and order has touched rock bottom,” he said and added that he had joined BJP getting inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan of ‘sabka saath sabka vikas’.
Reports of TMC leaders Sabyasachi Dutta and Sovan Chatterjee also joining the BJP are emerging however no confirmation has been issued by the MP’s. Both Sabyasachi Dutta and Sovan Chatterjee are MLA’s from New town and Behala East assembly constituency respectively. Talks over Sabyasachi Datta switching over to the BJP picked up when Senior BJP leader Mukul Roy had earlier, this month met Bidhannagar Mayor Sabyasachi Dutta at his residence, adding to the speculations that Dutta might jump ship to the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Dutta however was wary of the speculations and had said he is a ‘loyal soldier’ of the TMC. His statements over the last few days have however kept the speculations breathing. Chatterjee who has been an important part of Mamata’s cabinet had resigned as the mayor of Kolkata in November due to ‘personal problems’.
According to various opinion polls, BJP is set to make huge electoral gains in the state of West Bengal over its performance in the 2014 elections. Senior opposition leaders’ jumping of ship clearly an indication of the increasing popularity of the BJP in the state. With rising popularity and new leaders joining in, BJP is all set to create a meaningful dent in West Bengal Politics.
