New Delhi: With the rapid rise of BJP in Bengal, a section of Trinamul MLAs have begun back channel talks with the top saffron leadership.
Sources revealed that the BJP in Bengal has been given a list a of TMC MLAs who are ready to switch sides. It was learnt that the BJP was looking at the possibility of a movement of at least 50 MLAs from TMC to the saffron kitty by February next year.
Responding to speculations that in the event of a major exodus, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee might advance Assembly polls, the Bengal BJP in-charge, Mr Siddharth Nath Singh said: “ We are ready to go to polls anytime.”
On Thursday the BJP organised a major membership drive in North Bengal, which include Malda, Coochbehar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling among other districts.
If Ms Banerjee is all set to take on saffronites after the “contradictory” statements between the BJP and the government on Sardham scam’s link to terror funding, it was learnt that some of the TMC legislators, including an MP, have expressed their willingness to switch sides. While some of them have met top BJP leaders in Delhi others are reportedly holding secret parleys in Kolkata.
Regardless Ms Banerjee’s “bravado”, her partymen felt that she was rapidly losing her support base in Bengal. In urban Bengal, the middle class and students, who once supported Trnamul, have begun leaning towards the BJP.
In rural Bengal, not only the CPI(M) and Congress cadre but also some TMC workers have begun jumping onto the saffron chariot.
Sources said that the state unit BJP leaders at this juncture have a list of at least 18 MLAs, who were holding parlyes with them. A BJP functionary from Bengal felt that the “trickle will start from February 2015 onwards.”
The party is hoping that before the Kolkata Corporation polls in May, “the trickle will turn into a tide and a large number of Trinamul Congress legislators could switch sides.”
On the other hand the BJP on Thursday reacted strongly to Ms Banerjee’s “bamboo”remarks, which created quite a flutter in the state.
After the “contradiction”, Ms Banerjee attacked the BJP saying : “ “Bamboo jangale hoy, gharbaari toirite kaaje laage.
Aar jaane na, bamboo dite-dite bamboo jokhon taara kore na shobaike, tokhon je kothaye jaabe raakhar jayega thaakbe na (Bamboo grows in forests and is used to to build
homes.
However, when the bamboos turn around and start chasing people, there will be nowhere to run...)” Reacting sharply to the remark, Mr Shishir Bajori, heading the BJP Bengal booth
Committe observed that “ this kind of language is deplorable by any people’s representative, leave alone a chief minister of a state.”
Taking a dig at the TMC, Mr Bajoria added : “ It seems the West Bengal chief minister is leading her pack from the front as one keeps hearing foul and indecent language from many in the TMC.”
