The Bengal unit of the BJP wants members of all Opposition parties to join hands to fight against the Trinamool Congress in the panchayat elections scheduled to take place sometime mid-next year.
Aware that the BJP was the only party in the Opposition whose popularity was gradually going upwards, State BJP president Dilip Ghosh has asked “all those tortured members of the Opposition outfits, who have been victimised by the TMC and are afraid to come out openly against them are called upon to join hands with us to fight them in the panchayat elections.”
The BJP leader said that many members of Opposition parties had been in touch with the BJP and were willing to come out and stand united against Trinamool Congress.
“There are many leaders and members of other Opposition parties who have contacted us and are willing to join hands with us in the panchayat elections” he said, adding the BJP was a growing party and would field candidates in all the seats.
The party would soon hold meetings in North Bengal and Kolkata alike to find out and nominate right candidates, Ghosh said. The BJP leader’s statement is seen by the other Opposition parties as a ploy to get their workers to defect and join the BJP by offering “a so-called protective umbrella”.
The saffron outfit in the meantime had stepped up its activities against the Mamata Banerjee Government following the rising cases of dengue deaths in the State. A team of the party’s women’s wing burnt the effigy of the Chief Minister at the busy Hazra Crossing barely a furlong away from the Chief Minister’s house.
Meanwhile, on whether breakaway TMC leader Mukul Roy would join the party sometime soon, the State BJP leadership maintained a studied silence. Some of its leaders said the decision would have to be taken by Roy himself.
Incidentally, the national leadership of the party had earlier made it clear that the decision would be taken by the State leadership. Elsewhere, the TMC-Congress leaders said Roy’s joining the BJP would not make things different for party. “We have won elections without him and would continue to do so” State Minister Partho Chatterjee said repeating the CM’s warning to the Roy loyalists, saying “Those who want to leave the party can do so because the possible traitors are being closely watched.”