New Delhi: With the rapid rise of the BJP in West Bengal, a section of Trinamool MLAs have quietly started back-channel talks with the top saffron leadership.
Sources said the state BJP has got a list of Trinamool MLAs who are willing to switch sides. It is learnt the BJP is looking at the possibility of at least 50 MLAs moving from the Trinamool to the saffron camp by February next year.
Responding to the speculation that in the event of a major exodus, Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee may bring forward the Assembly elections in the state, due in 2016, West Bengal BJP in-charge Siddharth Nath Singh said, “We are ready to go to the polls any time.”
On Thursday, the BJP organised a big membership drive in North Ben-gal, that includes Malda, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, among other districts.
While Ms Banerjee, the West Bengal CM, appears all set to take on the saffronites after “contradictory statements” by the BJP and the Centre on the Saradha scam’s links with terror funding, it is understood that some Trinamool legislators, including an MP, are now willing to switch sides. Some of them have met top BJP leaders in New Delhi, while others are reportedly holding secret parleys in Kolkata.
Regardless Ms Banerjee’s “bravado” her partymen feel that she was rapidly losing her support base in Bengal.
In urban Bengal the middle class and students who once supported the Trinamool have begun leaning towards the BJP. In rural Bengal too some Trinamool workers have begun jumping onto saffron chariot.
The BJP on Thursday re-acted strongly to Ms Banerjee’s “bamboo” remarks.
Ms Banerjee attacked the BJP saying, “Bamboo grows in forests and is used to to build homes. However, when the bamboos turn around and start chasing people, there will be now-here to run”
Shishir Bajori, heading the BJP Bengal booth committee, said, “This kind of language is deplorable by any people’s representative, leave alone a Chief Minister.”
