There are no permanent enemies or friends in politics and keeping the tradition in check, several political opportunist leaders, who had jumped the TMC ship and joined BJP ahead of the assembly elections, are looking to return to their past havens. While the turncoats, motivated by the power are pleading to be taken back, the state cadre of TMC is opposing their entry.
According to an Indian Express report, in Howrah district, supporters of state minister Arup Roy have put up posters at various places expressing their opposition to the inclusion of Rajib Banerjee.
In Hooghly district, TMC workers are campaigning to stop the re-entry of former Uttarpara MLA Prabir Ghoshal who lost the election on a BJP ticket. Many anti-Ghoshal posters have come up in recent days in Hooghly’s Konnagar area.
Similar posters against the return of Sunil Singh, the brother-in-law of BJP MP Arjun Singh, have appeared in Noapara and Barrackpore in the North 24 Parganas district.
“The opposition against turncoats is not a universal phenomenon. We have received news of resistance in some places. However, Mukul Roy’s case was different. Mamata Banerjee personally decided to take back Mukul. We did not adopt any general policy for these leaders…,” said TMC MP Saugata Roy.
Reported by TFI, giving a shock to the state unit, senior leader Mukul Roy recently returned to the TMC fold after joining BJP in 2017. Many have termed Roy’s differences with BJP top functionaries and failure to land the ‘leader of opposition’ title which went Suvendu Adhikari’s way as some of the few reasons for his departure.
Immediately after his departure, Mukul Roy asked the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to withdraw his state cover. Perhaps this is Mukul Roy’s departing gift to the BJP – a stunning statement of how only BJP leaders in West Bengal require safety, and once they jump ship back to the TMC – they are insulated from all forms of political violence.
While TMC workers and goons continue to engage in the slaughtering of BJP workers in the post-poll violence, the turncoats have shown that they were never really here to defeat Mamata, albeit get a taste of power. The turncoats were one of the reasons why many of the BJP state workers feel that Mamata managed to retain her hold over the state for a third consecutive term.
BJP had a golden chance and it squandered it away by welcoming such leaders. Now that the turncoats are craving to go back to the old home, the BJP should politely let them.