West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh. (File/Photo)Four BJP leaders from Kharagpur and hundreds of their supporters joined the Trinamool Congress on Wednesday. Sailendra Singh, Ajoy Chatterjee, Rajdip Guha and Sajal Roy joined the TMC in presence of its women’s wing president and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Chandrima Bhattacharya at Trinamool Bhavan.
The BJP leaders are from Kharagpur in West Midnapore district, which falls under the Lok Sabha constituency of West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh.
After inducting them into the party, Bhattacharya told reporters, “This will be a huge setback to the BJP and especially to its organisational strength in Kharagpur. Leaders from Dilip Ghosh’s constituency are joining TMC. It will send a message that people are fed up with the BJP and they no longer want to support it.”
Shailendra Singh was associated with BJP since the 2014 general elections. He was serving as the District Trade Union President and Secretary of Madhya Mandal of Kharagpur municipality.
Sajal Roy held the designation of Uttar Mandal General Secretary in the BJP. He was the head of non-political organisation Matangini Hazra Mahila Wahini, a group of 400 members working on women empowerment, and also established Bhagat Singh Yuva Josh.
Ajay Chatterjee was an influential leader of Bharatiya Janata Mazdoor Trade Union Council.
Rajdeep Guha joined BJP in 2016 and held various designations in the party such as District Minority General Secretary and Member of the Representative Committee for Dilip Ghosh.
In 2016 state Assembly polls, Dilip Ghosh won from Kharagpur Sadar seat. However, he resigned as an MLA from this seat after he won the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Medinipur seat. In the Assembly bypolls last year, the TMC had won the Kharagpur Sadar Assembly constituency for the first time. Since then many BJP leaders defected to the TMC.
“The BJP leaders have lost faith in the party’s functioning. They have joined our party today to work for the masses at the grassroots. Nearly 500 of their supporters have joined the TMC today. For Covid-19 restrictions, only about hundred were present today,” added Bhattacharya.
Dilip Ghosh said, “Some people who became greedy and maintained links with the TMC while being BJP members have left today. This will not harm the party. However, those who are targeted by the TMC and facing atrocities will not leave the party.”
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