Kolkata: Almost every single day, some Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Bengal has been claiming that many Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders are queuing up to join the saffron party. However, not a single prominent TMC leader, barring some lower-rung workers and cadres, has switched since October 2019.Last Saturday, BJP MP from Barrackpore Arjun Singh claimed that veteran TMC MP Saugata Roy along with five other MPs are going to join the BJP soon.Speaking to The Wire, TMC MP Roy said, “I am firmly committed to my party and will never join BJP. This is nothing but a part of BJP’s fake news campaign spearhead by its IT cell head Amit Malviya.”TMC MP Saugata Roy. Photo: Facebook/Professor Saugata Roy OfficialOn Sunday, while interacting with the media, TMC leader and party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “Yesterday, some said Saugata Roy and others are joining another party. Saugata babu (Roy) is a senior MP. BJP leaders are trying to silence the fact that they are annoyed at their internal discord as three to four of their MPs and other leaders are contacting us to join the Trinamool Congress.”This is not the first time a BJP leader made such a claim. Days after the 2019 general election results, few TMC MLAs and many councillors joined BJP in Delhi. Then, Kailash Vijayvargiya, party national general secretary and central observer for West Bengal had said, “Like the elections were held in seven phases in West Bengal, joining in BJP will also happen in seven phases. Today was just the first phase.”Also read: Amit Malviya’s Appointment in Bengal Shows How Heavily BJP Relies on Social MediaThe last prominent TMC leader who joined BJP was Sabyasachi Dutta, an MLA from Rajarhat Newtown assembly segment. He joined the saffron party on October 1, 2019, at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in the presence of Amit Shah.The Wire reached out to MP Arjun Singh, however, the call went unanswered.Speaking to The Wire, general secretary of BJP’s Bengal unit Sayantan Basu said, “Wait and watch. Let the control of police administration go out of Mamata Banerjee’s hand, let the election commission take charge, then joining will start. We have taken a strategic decision and asked leaders not to join now.”Another state BJP leader who does not want to be named said, “Can’t confirm Arjun Singh’s recent remarks on leaders joining our party. Talks happen all the time, but at this moment I am not aware of any prominent TMC leader switching.”Dissidence in TMC As TMC is on a reorganising drive, a section of disgruntled leaders might eventually jump ship. However, nothing major has happened till now. Also, the elevation of former TMC leaders Mukul Roy and Anupam Hazra to be party’s national vice-president and secretary by the BJP, respectively, has been precisely aimed at poaching rival leaders. Both Roy and Hazra are TMC turncoats, while the former joined the BJP in 2017, the latter switched allegiance months before the 2019 general election.Mukul Roy and Amit Shah. Photo: Facebook/Mukul RoyAn editor of Kolkata TV channel, on the condition of anonymity, told The Wire, “Some politicians always remain in touch, it is not necessary they will switch. Also, BJP’s house is not in order, they are already fighting to accommodate their own leaders. Leaders will only switch if some lucrative offers are on the table.”Another senior journalist from Kolkata, who works for an English daily, voiced similar opinion and said, “For a prominent TMC leader to switch, the BJP needs to create space, which will always be difficult as they have their own men to be accommodated. They may still join though, but only at a later stage. Till then, such speculation will continue.”Also read: Bengal: Suvendu Adhikari Openly Revolts Against TMC, Sparking Speculation About FuturePoll strategist Prashant Kishor’s firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) has been working for TMC since July last year. Speaking to The Wire, a senior associate of I-PAC said, “Switching to BJP might happen but that will be because they are not getting TMC tickets. As far as the joining is concerned, many leaders are willing to join TMC, some have already joined, and many are yet to happen.”On October 16, Rafiqul Islam, a sitting CPI(M) MLA from Basirhat Uttar in North 24 Parganas, returned to the Trinamool after four years. Earlier this month, Qazi Abdur Rahim, Congress MLA representing Baduria assembly, joined TMC.The most recent one was on Monday, when AIMIM party leader from Bengal Anwar Pasha along with several others joined TMC.TMC leader and West Bengal transport minister Suvendu Adhikari. Photo: Facebook/official.suvenduadhikarRecently, West Bengal transport minister, and arguably TMC’s top leader after Mamata Banerjee, upped the ante against his own party. If he joins the BJP, a number of MLAs close to him might follow suit, which could be a major jolt to the ruling TMC.However, in the past one week, Adhikari attended two meetings with TMC veteran Saugata Roy to resolve the issue. Earlier, poll strategist Kishor had personally gone to Adhikari’s house in Contai, Purba Medinipur, however, the meeting could not happen as disgruntled MLA was not present.In the days to come, a lot will depend on Adhikari’s decision, who could potentially hijack the political activity in the state. Fence-sitters are carefully watching Adhikari’s move and likely to make up their minds once their leader conveys his decision.Himadri Ghosh is a Kolkata-based journalist.
