Bengali actor Srabanti Chatterjee quits BJP; party says won't have any impact

KOLKATA: Bengali actor Srabanti Chatterjee, who had joined the BJP before this year's assembly elections and unsuccessfully contested against Trinamool Congress heavyweight Partha Chatterjee, quit the saffron party on Thursday citing its "lack of initiative and sincerity to further the cause of West Bengal".

The 34-year-old actor had been maintaining a distance from the BJP after it failed to unseat Mamata Banerjee's government from power in the eastern state despite a high-pitched campaign.

"Severing all ties with the BJP, the party for which I fought the last state elections. Reason being their lack of initiative and sincerity to further the cause of Bengal," Chatterjee tweeted.

The West Bengal BJP did not attach much importance to Chatterjee's decision, while the ruling TMC said if she wanted to join the party, it will be considered.

"I really don't know whether she was with the party after the elections. It won't have an impact on the party," BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said.

Echoing him, senior BJP leader Tathagata Roy, who has been training his guns on the party top brass for the election debacle, called Chatterjee's quitting the party a "good riddance".

Roy had criticised the BJP for inducting people with no political background, especially those from the entertainment world, and fielding them in the assembly elections while ignoring loyal and trusted party workers.

"Good riddance. I don't recall if she had any meaningful contributions in all the days," the former Meghalaya and Tripura governor said.

BJP national secretary Anupam Hazra mockingly tweeted: "The void in the organisation caused by her decision to quit the party cannot be filled."

Chatterjee, who was once close to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the TMC, joined the BJP in March this year.

She was fielded in the Behala Paschim seat, where she was defeated by TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee by over 50,000 votes.

"If she wants to join the Trinamool Congress and become part of the development initiative of (Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee, we will consider," Partha Chatterjee, also the industries minister, told reporters.

Senior TMC leader Anubrata Mondal claimed that no sensible person can remain with the BJP for long.

TMC MP and actor Nusrat Jahan said, "I wish Srabanti the best. She is my colleague in the industry. It was her decision and I welcome it."

The actor joins a long list of celebrities and leaders who have either quit the BJP or are maintaining a distance from the party after its defeat in the polls.