BJP makes 'exception' for ex-TMC MPs, puts its own 'no turncoats' line to test

Three former Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MPs — Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik — joined the BJP on Thursday, 9 July, in a move that put West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya's repeated 'no TMC' stance under fresh scrutiny.

Ironically, the three were inducted into the party at the BJP's Salt Lake office by Bhattacharya himself, despite his having been the party's strongest advocate of shutting the doors on defecting TMC leaders after the BJP's landslide win in April's Assembly elections. Defending Thursday's decision, he insisted the inductions were an exception rather than a change in policy.

"This is an exception that we are inducting them into the party. This is a party decision. I would like to clarify that those who turned to the BJP within four hours of our win wouldn't be able to join. But those who are untainted and were in TMC selflessly will be able to join," he said.

Bhattacharya also maintained that the BJP had consistently appealed to those within the TMC who had not been "involved in corruption" to support the party. Referring to the newly inducted leaders, he said their only identity now was as "BJP workers".

The TMC was quick to seize on what it described as the BJP's contradiction Party spokesperson Deb Narayan Sarkar accused the BJP of abandoning its own publicly stated position. "The BJP has no morality. On the one hand, it says it will not take anyone from TMC, and now the exact opposite happens. These three have been rewarded immediately after they left TMC on the instructions of the BJP. What is the fault of long-time BJP leaders and workers?" he asked.

Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh also questioned Sukhendu Sekhar Roy's political journey. "Sukhendu Sekhar Roy was sent to the Rajya Sabha by Mamata Banerjee. He was never elected or selected by anyone else. He left TMC and then came back to the party after requesting Mamata Banerjee and apologising. Then he left again and has now joined the BJP," Ghosh said.

'Rebel' TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee, however, struck a more restrained note. "They were my colleagues. They left TMC and have full liberty to join any party they want," he said.

The inductions came a day after the notification for three Rajya Sabha vacancies from West Bengal was issued, fuelling speculation over whether the BJP could nominate the three former MPs to the Upper House.

Bhattacharya neither confirmed nor denied the possibility. "Let the discussion continue," he said.

Defending the party's decision, BJP spokesperson Sapan Das argued that the BJP needed experienced leaders to strengthen its organisation. "We have to rule Bengal for the next 50 years. There is no doubt that we won with the votes of the people but we don't have an organisation at all levels. There are many good people who can do a lot of good for society and hence we will take them even if they were in TMC. They first left TMC and then joined BJP," Das said.

Dutifully, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy criticised the political situation in West Bengal and praised BJP founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee. "We all know the greatness of Syama Prasad Mukherjee and he fought for the country. My father also had a little contribution. These 49 years of Left and TMC rule have completely destroyed Bengal. We heard trade union slogans all these years. We have seen all the parties in Bengal except the BJP," he said.

Roy also claimed that despite the TMC winning 29 Lok Sabha seats, public anger against the party surfaced within months. "TMC won 29 Lok Sabha seats but within four months, all of Bengal was on the streets because of RG Kar (rape and murder case). Bengal politics was always anti-Centre and this pushed us away from the rest of India. Here, political parties compete to prove how strongly they can oppose the Centre," he said.

Sushmita Dev said she had joined the BJP because of the public support Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoys. "The huge mandate that BJP has got in Bengal and other states proves that people have faith in Narendra Modi and hence I decided to join BJP," she said.

She also rejected allegations of corruption against her, saying that while she had witnessed corruption during her time in the TMC, no one could accuse her of being personally involved.

The inductions have revived a debate within the BJP because the party had previously constituted a three-member committee to regulate the entry of former TMC leaders. Bhattacharya's own remarks in recent months, insisting that the BJP would not induct leaders switching over from the TMC after the Assembly elections, had drawn support from sections of the party rank and file, while his subsequent caveat that "untainted" leaders could still be accommodated had triggered criticism from former state president Dilip Ghosh.