Apart from rallying for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Trinamool Congress (TMC) has other urgent, pressing matters to be concerned about. Leaders of the Mamata Banerjee led party are leaving the party to join the BJP. This problem has been prevalent in the party over the years. A couple of months ago, Trinamool Congress MP Saumitra Khan joined the BJP giving a fillip to the saffron party’s campaign in West Bengal alleging that there was no democracy, but “police raj” in the state. Now it seems that TMC has to worry about another leader.
A meeting between BJP leader Mukul Roy and Bidhannagar mayor Sabyasachi Dutta at the latter’s residence has fuelled speculation that the TMC leader might cross over to BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The meeting is significant because Roy had once been Dutta’s mentor and the two had claimed to not have had contact since Roy got into the BJP. Dutta, TMC leaders stated, is a known “Mukul-loyalist” but had stayed on with the TMC after Mukul Roy rebelled and eventually joined the BJP in 2017 after differences with CM Mamata Banerjee. Moreover, Dutta holds considerable sway over Dum Dum and Barasat Lok Sabha constituencies adjacent to Kolkata.
Dutta, an MLA from Rajarhat New Town, was at the centre of the BJP’s campaign against the TMC ahead of the 2016 Assembly polls. According to TMC leaders, he had “unquestionable influence” across the Rajarhat area – an area once punctuated by villages and wetlands that has now been at the heart of a massive development boom. One leader said, “He is a very important cog in the TMC’s election machinery and is very influential in Dum Dum and Barasat.”
Speaking to News18, Dutta said, “The relationship between me and Mukul da is above any party line. We did not meet yesterday for the first time. Mukul da called me and asked if I was at home and expressed his desire to meet me along with his wife. It was a wonderful evening we spent together as we are like one family. He wanted to have luchi and aludum (puri sabzi) and my wife made it. We discussed cricket, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, and our political movements together (against the Left), including Chamkaitala in Midnapore).”
On his absence from today’s TMC core committee meeting at Madhyamgram, he said, “I have not been keeping well for the last two days and have informed the party leadership about this.”
Although Roy maintained that Sabyasachi is like his “younger brother,” and he visited the latter only to “enquire” about his well being, he had hinted in an interview last month to News18 that many in the TMC would soon join the BJP. He said, “Soumitra Khan (Lok Sabha MP from Bishnupur) joined the BJP and the TMC immediately slapped six cases against him. All senior MPs and senior leaders are waiting for the announcement of the elections, so that the administration is in the hands of the EC. Then many sitting MPs will join the BJP.”
As per reports, Mukul Roy will also be meeting senior Congress leaders Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Deepa Dasmunsi. Roy has been invited for dinner at Chowdhury’s house on Sunday. This comes at a time when the Bengal Congress is having a tussle with the CPI (M) leadership over seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
According to party sources, TMC leadership is worried about the recent developments and they are keeping a close watch. “Dutta is a number of things. But he is also a serial winner. He rose up the ranks and then won the polls in 2011, defeating the Left who had ruled in the area undefeated since 1962.”
TMC has a lot to be concerned about, considering that Dutta is one of the key members in the party rallying for the Lok Sabha elections. Dutta being a ‘serial winner’ has been quick to observe BJP’s stronghold in the state and his desire to be a nominee of the winning party coupled by the influence of his family like mentor is giving the Mamata Banerjee led party a lot to worry about.