BJP West Bengal President Clarifies Stance on TMC Leaders Joining Party
BJP's Cautious Approach to TMC Leaders
Samik Bhattacharya, the President of the BJP in West Bengal, has made it clear that the party is not in a hurry to welcome leaders from the Trinamool Congress (TMC). He claims that following the BJP's victory in the state, several current TMC MPs and MLAs are interested in joining the BJP, but the party has currently closed its doors to such leaders. In an interview with a news agency, Bhattacharya stated that the BJP has achieved a decisive mandate on its own, and therefore, it is not obligated to accommodate leaders from rival parties. He emphasized that the party has learned from the mass defections that occurred before the 2021 assembly elections.
Without naming any specific leaders or providing numbers, he mentioned that many TMC MPs and MLAs are ready to join, but he refrained from commenting on the figures. He asserted that the BJP does not need external leaders to strengthen its position in the state. "The door is currently closed. We do not need any TMC leader to win elections. We have won on our own," he stated.
However, Bhattacharya left the possibility open for future inclusion of leaders under certain conditions. He remarked that politics does not always follow a straightforward logic; the decision to include any tainted leader would be collective, not individual. He further clarified that even if the BJP considers incorporating new leaders in the future, those involved in corruption, recruitment scams, or linked to the alleged TMC syndicate network would not be welcomed.
Addressing allegations of discrimination among different factions within the ruling party, Bhattacharya stated that he has never claimed that any TMC faction is good or bad. He noted that TMC and corruption have become synonymous. He also mentioned that there were individuals associated with the TMC who remained outside the corrupt system he described and supported the BJP in the elections. "There are people who were part of the TMC but stayed away from that corrupt system. Many of them voted for us," he added.