Bengal BJP is not happy over induction of TMC leaders

The BJP’s strategy to induct TMC legislators has generated severe discontent in the party's West Bengal unit.

Discontent reached it’s peak with the recent joining of TMC's Labpur MLA Manirul Islam— a section of state BJP leaders were already unhappy with the inductions.

Sources in the BJP said a section of the state RSS leaders too are not happy about it and added that some state leaders have expressed their reservations over the issue in close circles.

Some have even opposed the decision in public and even threatened to resign from party posts.

Expressing his displeasure over Manirul's induction, BJP candidate from Howrah Lok Sabha constituency, Rantidev Sengupta, questioned the party leadership’s decision to induct Manirul and expelled TMC MP Anupam Hazra, in a Facebook post.

Arguing that a large number of people from Birbhum district, where Labpur falls, voted for the BJP in protest against the alleged atrocities committed by TMC leaders like Manirul, Sengupta asked what sort of message is being sent to the people with the induction of people like Manirul into the party.

“Manirul Islam joined BJP with the help of Anupam Hazra. I don’t know how much beneficial it will be for the BJP... People of Birbhum voted for the BJP in protest against the atrocities committed by the likes of Manirul and now he has joined the BJP. What kind of message will it send to the people?” Sengupta said in the post.

“I want to know with what intention Anupam Hazra joined the BJP. This person was all smiles in his meeting with Anubrata Mondal (TMC’s Birbhum district president) during the Lok Sabha elections,” he said.

Another BJP leader from Birhum district Kalosona Mondal has made it clear that the district unit will not accept Manirul and will sideline him.

“I don’t care if I am removed from party posts for saying this but we will not accept Manirul Islam in the district BJP,” Mondal said.

As for the reasons behind inducting Manirul into the party, sources said that first the leadership wanted to send a message to the general public that minority community leaders are welcome in the BJP; second, they wanted to use Manirul to further engineer defections in the TMC.

However, Manirul’s earlier conflicts with the BJP and his aggressive speeches against the saffron party have gone against him.