LOTUS WILTING IN SONAR BANGLA?

Kolkata

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The recent epicentre of reported “hobnobbing” of politics is the illness of Mukul Roy’s wife, Krishna Roy. A couple of days back, Trina­m­ool Congress’ Abhishek Ban­erjee, in a bid to “displ­ay” humanity reached Apollo Hospital in Kolkata to me­et the ailing wife of Mukul Roy.

Since then, speculations were rife about Subhrangshu’s (Mukul’s son) return to the TMC fold.

Though Abhishek Banerjee had cleared the air stating that Subhrangshu’s mother is like his mother and hence rising above politics, he had gone to pay her a visit. But adding more speculation, Su­b­hrangshu said he was “deli­ghted” to see Abhishek and also hinted “at his defecti­on”, post his mom’s recovery.

Close on the heels of Abhishek’s visit, West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh visited the hospital the same night to give a message that Subhrangshu and his father are very much with the saffron camp.

A day after this development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called Mukul to enquire about his wife’s health!

Several poll analysts also opined the political parties are not leaving any stones unturned to play politics even over Covid patients during this trying time.

Incidentally, last month when there was a tussle between the Central and the state governments over former West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay and hinting his affinity towards the Trinamool Congress, Subhrangshu had nailed the saffron camp in the social media.

Notably known as ‘Chan­ak­ya’ of West Bengal, BJP national vice-president Mukul Roy was once a close aide of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Following the inclusion of his name in different ponzi scams, Mukul defected to BJP in 2017.

Following his defection, the TMC leaders and its cadres cried foul against Mukul, stating that his defection had “cleansed” him and provided him a safe passage from the imminent arrest.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, BJP MP Arjun Singh, however, said Subhrangshu is free to defect back to the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Old-timers irked with LoP-sided policy

Dilip Ghosh rejects claim of removing Suvendu

Infighting and discord is gradually reaching its "peak" among the BJP leaders and cadres in the state and the post the Assembly poll, the decibel level is high. Currently, almost 34 newly-elected BJP MLAs have united and urged from senior BJP leaders of West Bengal to remove ‘turncoat’ Suvendu Adhikari from the post of West Bengal Assembly’s Leader of Opposition post and also appealed that some old-timers of the party be given the post.

“Almost 34 MLAs have threatened to submit mass resignation if Suvendu is not removed from the LoP post immediately,” mentioned the BJP sources.

Refuting the charges, West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh claimed that Suvendu, with support of majority BJP MLAs, was unanimously chosen as the Leader of Opposition and also that there is no such buzz among the BJP rank and file.

“These are false claims purposely being floated by the ruling Trinamool Congress to put a dent in the BJP fold. There is no such thing among the BJP MLAs and also there is no question of removing Suvendu from the post as he has got absolute majority,” Dilip Ghosh told the Free Press Journal.

Notably, citing age issues, BJP national vice-president Mukul Roy had suggested Suvendu’s name and with support of majority of MLAs, Suvendu was declared the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.

Notably, infighting was the in-thing ever since the BJP had announced its list of candidates for the Assembly poll. Several cadres from across the state especially from Singur, Nandigram were seen agitating outside the party’s election office in Kolkata’s Hastings area.

Refusing to give any attention to the discord, the BJP had faced a massive poll debacle and after the election, enough heartburn was seen in the open. Following the party’s defeat, several turncoats now want to defect back to the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Another defection? MP quits Whatsapp group

At a time when the turncoat leaders have started to return to the Trinamool-fold, BJP MP Saumi­tra Khan left its Whatsapp gro­up giving rise to speculations of his qui­tting the saffron camp. However, BJP Bishnupur MP Khan confirmed he left just the group not the party. “I am very much with the BJP, and not quitting the party. Leaving the Wha­t­­sapp group doesn’t mean I am quitting the party. When I defected to the BJP in 2019 no MP or MLAs from the TMC had joined the BJP,” claimed Saum­i­t­ra. Specula­tion inten­si­fied when he skipped the meeting with sta­te BJP chief Dilip Ghosh at Bishnupur.