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Updated May 16th, 2022 at 08:30 IST

'BJP can't dislodge TMC by posting tweets': MP Arjun Singh signals infighting in WB unit

The rift in BJP's West Bengal unit resurfaced on Sunday as Barrackpore Lok Sabha MP Arjun Singh claimed that he was not allowed to work with a free hand.

Reported by: Akhil Oka
Arjun Singh
Image: ANI | Image:self
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The rift in BJP's West Bengal unit resurfaced on Sunday as Barrackpore Lok Sabha MP Arjun Singh claimed that he was not allowed to work with a free hand. Singh who was a sitting MLA of TMC switched over to the saffron party on March 14, 2019, and was elected to the Lower House in the subsequent General Election. Serving as the vice president of WB BJP, Singh told the media that leaders helming the state unit were making it very difficult for grassroots workers to carry out their day-to-day activities in the state. 

Arjun Singh was quoted as saying by PTI, "Let's be clear. By posting tweets on social media, we cannot dislodge the TMC from power in West Bengal. Those having no connection with the ground reality are calling the shots while proven fighters having a mass base are being ignored. How can the BJP achieve its objective then"? He contended that the situation was akin to him being gifted a fountain pen without ink and paper. However, BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul denied this charge and maintained that he had been given adequate power in the state organization. 

BJP's woes in West Bengal

On May 2, 2021, TMC sprung a surprise by decisively winning the West Bengal Assembly election by bagging 213 seats whereas BJP could win in only 77 constituencies. Speculation about Mukul Roy's political future started doing the rounds after Nandigram MLA Suvendu Adhikari pipped him to the Leader of the Opposition's post. While the then BJP national vice-president won the Krishnanagar Uttar seat in Nadia district, his son Subhrangshu who joined the party in May 2019 was defeated from the Bijpur seat from where he was the incumbent MLA. Finally, Roy and his son rejoined TMC in the presence of CM Mamata Banerjee and her nephew on June 11, 2021.

After a brief lull, Tanmoy Ghosh who won in Bishnupur on a BJP ticket switched allegiance to TMC on August 30, 2021. Biswajit Das and Soumen Roy, the sitting BJP legislators from Bagda and Kaliaganj respectively followed suit. Meanwhile, Jagannath Sarkar and Nisith Pramanik chose to retain their Lok Sabha seats despite winning the Assembly polls. On October 27, 2021, Krishna Kalyani became the 5th BJP legislator to jump ship to the Mamata Banerjee-led party. Thus, BJP has 71 members in the state Assembly now. The infighting in BJP has continued even after Sukanta Majumdar was appointed as the WB unit chief.

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Published May 16th, 2022 at 08:30 IST

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