TMC labels Suvendu Adhikari 'Mir Jafar'; claims 'Defections to BJP won’t impact WB polls'

A day after former West Bengal minister Suvendu Adhikari along with 23 other Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders joined the BJP in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Mamata Banerjee's party remained defiant and said the mass exodus to the saffron party does not affect it. TMC further labelled these leaders as traitors and backstabbers and addressed them as “Mir Jafars.”

Mir Jafar was a military commander who betrayed Nawab of Bengal Siraj Ud-Daulah by joined hands with the British during the Battle of Plassey in 1757. His name is now used in reference to treachery.

During a press conference, West Bengal panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said TMC was neither shocked nor crestfallen by the desertions as “will not impact” the upcoming Assembly polls.

Indicating that Adhikari had been in touch with the BJP for quite some time, the minister said, “We did have some information, and therefore we were not stunned. There is no reason to raise a hue and cry over the desertion of Mir Jafars. Such betrayals have been taking place for centuries. Just with one Suvendu in its fold, the BJP hopes to win 250 seats. Thank god, they did not say they will win all the seats.”

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"Mamata did not switch parties"

Mukherjee and TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien also came out in defence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Banerjee should not criticise the BJP for the defections as she had once done the same thing after quitting the Congress in 1998.

Dismissing Amit Shah’s claim, the leaders pointed out that Banjeree established TMC after leaving Congress. Mukherjee said Banerjee’s 1998 move cannot be labelled “switching parties” as she left Congress and formed a new party — TMC. She was never associated with any other party,” he said.

“Claim: Mamata Banerjee left the Congress for another party and is accusing people of defection today. Reality: She did not defect to another party. She set up a NEW party in 1998, the All India Trinamool Congress,” tweeted O’ Brien.

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"BJP trying to win Bengal through communal politics"

Criticising the Union minister, Mukherjee’s Cabinet colleague Firhad Hakim said, “He said the BJP would build ‘Sonar Bangla [Golden Bengal]’. They should make a ‘Sonar Bharat [Golden India]’ first and then they may try for ‘Sonar Bangla’. Modi said the government would provide one crore jobs, but 21 crore people became jobless in his regime. They are trying to make India a private limited company. Selling all the public sectors and now they are trying to win Bengal through communal politics.”

The Bengal Minister further accused Amit Shah of lying about the construction of a farmer’s house in Paschim Medinipur district. After having lunch at a farmer’s home, Shah had said the house was entirely built as part of the Prime Minister’s housing project for the underprivileged.

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Mukherjee claimed that the state and the Centre shared the burden of the project. “A total of 33.87 lakh housing units were built in the state since 2011 at a cost of Rs 39.993 crore, a large portion of which was borne by the state. Figures speak for themselves. It is shameful to dish out facts suiting one’s own interest," he added.

In a setback to TMC, former West Bengal cabinet minister Suvendu Adhikari joined BJP ahead of the assembly polls which are likely to be scheduled in April-May 2021. This occurred despite the TMC leadership held hectic parleys with the disgruntled leader to continue his association with TMC. Apart from Adhikari, close to two dozen other politicians joined the BJP in presence of Amit Shah on Saturday. 

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