21 BJP leaders likely to join TMC? Kailash Vijayvargiya dismisses speculation

BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Monday dismissed speculation that some party MPs from West Bengal may join the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) before next year's Assembly polls in that state.

All BJP MPs from West Bengal are with the party, he asserted.

"Some journalists, influenced by the TMC government of West Bengal, are spreading confusion that some BJP MPs are going to join the TMC. The reports about this are misleading and mischievous," Vijayvargiya, who is BJP's general secretary in-charge of West Bengal, told reporters here in Madhya Pradesh.

"All BJP MPs from West Bengal are with the party and they are engaged in the development of the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he added.

Dismissing the speculation that 21 party leaders are likely to jump ship and join the TMC, the talk, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya tweeted that some news channels are claiming that BJP MPs would be joining the TMC.

"We condemn any such news. All the MPs are with the BJP and working under Modiji's leadership," he said in a tweet.

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The tweet came close on the heels of a Times Now report which stated that 21 BJP leaders, including 1 MLA, 4 MPs and 16 councillors are likely to join the TMC.

The BJP won 18 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal during the last year's general elections.

The Assembly elections are due in 2021 in the state ruled by Mamata Banerjee-led TMC.

Notably, Biplab Mitra, a prominent leader from north Bengal, returned to the TMC last week after quitting the BJP.

Mitra, a former TMC MLA from Harirampur in South Dinajpur district, had switched over to the BJP in June last year in the presence of Vijayvargiya in New Delhi.

In 2017, Mukul Roy, a trusted lieutenant of Mamata Banerjee and a powerful TMC leader joined the BJP. Sovan Chatterjee, another former top-level TMC leader also joined BJP after rift with the party leadership.