BJP in touch with Suvendu, but nothing decided as of now
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BJP in touch with Suvendu, but nothing decided as of now


The BJP central leadership is intouch with disgruntled TMC mass leader Suvendu Adhikari, whohas resigned from the Mamata Banerjee cabinet, butnothing has been decided as of now regarding his joining thesaffron party, sources in it said on Saturday.

Adhikari, they said, is in good terms with some of thesaffron camp leaders but talks regarding his conditions forjoining the party are yet to begin.

The BJP is, however, hopeful about his joining as itfeels that the heavyweight TMC leader has “few options left” asenior BJP leader said.

“We are in touch with Suvendu Adhikari. We share goodterms with him but nothing has been decided as of nowreagrding his joining us. We have to wait for few more days tohave a clear picture,” the leader said on condition ofanonymity.

Although Adhikari has resigned from the MamataBanerjee cabinet in which he was the minister in charge oftransport, waterways and irrigation, he has not resigned fromTMC or as MLA.

“After resigning as minister it will be tough forAdhikari to continue in TMC. So the options before him arefloating a new party or joining BJP or Congress,” the BJPleader said.

“It takes a lot of money and human resource to float anew political outfit, which we dont think is possible at thisjuncture,” he said.

The option for Adhikari to join the Congress is lessas the party is very weak in Bengal. “So the only option leftis the BJP, which we think is the most beneficial propositionfor both of us,” he said.

Sources said Adhikaris exit from the cabinet onFriday is seen as a prelude to his severing of his two-decade-old association withe TMC right from its inception in1998.

The TMC leadership, which had initiated backchanneltalks with him, has decided to adopt a “wait and watch”approach and will not initiate any further talks to addresshis grievances, sources in the party said.

Apart from his home district of East Midnapore,Adhikari has influence over at least 40-45 assembly segmentsin tribal Jangalmahal area comprising the districts of WestMidnapore, Bankura, Purulia and Jhargram and parts of Birbhumand minority-dominated Murshidabad districts.

This assumes significance as polls in the state, whereBJP has made deep inroads, is due in April-May 2021 and ChiefMinister Mamata Banerjee will seek to return to power for thethird consecutive term.


(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)

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