Soumitra Khan, first MP from Bengal to join BJP, says 5 more will follow suit; Mukul Roy says take this as trailer
Two Lok Sabha MPs of the ruling TMC – Soumitra Khan from Bishnupur in Bankura district and Dr Anupam Hazra from Bolpur in Birbhum district – were expelled from the party on Wednesday. While Khan has joined BJP, Hazra is expected to follow suit soon.
Khan was inducted to the party in New Delhi after his discussion with BJP national president Amit Shah. He is the first Lok Sabha MP to defect from TMC to BJP. He joined BJP formally in the presence of Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan, party national general secretary Bhupender Yadav, and party leaders from Bengal Mukul Roy and Rahul Sinha.
Roy said at least five more MPs from TMC were ready to switch over to BJP and would soon do so.
Khan blamed 'syndicate raj' in West Bengal to be the reason for his switching camps. "There is a syndicate raj in Bengal, especially in Bankura district. Democracy does not exist in Bengal and the entire state is being ruled by pishi and bhaipo (aunty and nephew, referring to Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee)," Khan said. He said polls take peacefully across the country whereas murders are being reported from Bengal every day and people were killed even during panchayat polls. "Law and order has touched rock bottom," he said.
While TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said Khan had been expelled from the party following corruption charges and Hazra because of his activities which brought the party a bad name.
Both Khan and Hazra refuted charges. Khan said there is no charge against him as he "never indulged in corrupt practices". Hazra brushed aside charges saying: "I have neither been named in Saradha nor Narada scams (in which TMC leaders are named) and neither have I raised money taking Mamata's name or using my position."
Addressing the media after Khan's induction into the BJP, Mukul Roy said, "Soumitra Khan joining the BJP is just a trailer. The full-length feature is yet to be seen. Be sure TMC will be extinct before 2021."
ADVANTAGE BJP
- Bengal is a 'priority state' for BJP; Shah has set a target of 22 seats
- It had won two of the state's 42 LS seats in 2014; TMC won 34
- TMC deserters look at BJP seeing latter's growing popularity
- BJP is now number two in state, leaving Congress & Left behind
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