Ahead of the upcoming state assembly polls in West Bengal, BJP Bengal in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya has made a stunning claim, stating that he is in touch with about 41 MLAs from the incumbent TMC who are ready to jump the ship and join the BJP.
Talking to media reporters on Thursday, Vijayvargiya said the Trinamool Congress government would collapse if he lets the MLAs join the saffron party. However, he added that only with clean image will be allowed to join the party.
“I have a list of 41 MLAs who want to join the BJP. The Bengal government will collapse if I let them in. We are exploring their background and only leaders with a clean image would be allowed to join. Everyone believes that the Mamata government is going out,” Vijayvargiya had said.
Vijayvargiya’s statement comes days after the Bengal minister Jyotipriya Mallick boasted that 6 of BJP’s 7 MPs would soon join the TMC. Mallick had said that several leaders who joined the BJP recently are willing to come back to Trinamool. But the final decision rests with Mamata Banerjee. They will be taken back only if she allows, Mallick had said.
Rumblings within TMC ahead of WB assembly elections
It is pertinent to note that the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress is hit by a series of defections and rebellions in recent times. Last month, party heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari tendered his resignation from the party. Five other TMC MLAs also submitted their resignation in December 2020. Days later West Bengal sports minister Laxmi Ratan Shukla resigned from the Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet.
The rumblings with the TMC continues as another party leader Vaishali Dalmiya opened the front against the party. A few days back, Dalmiya, perturbed by Shukla’s resignation, stated that the pervasive corruption is eating up the party from within and lamented that party members are involved in stonewalling of work carried out by the fellow members.
West Bengal is slated to go to polls in April/May this year.
