BJP In Bengal: No More Tainting Of The Lotus
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2021-02-02 14:58:30
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Finally, the central leadershipof the BJP has realized that "mass joining" of defectors from the TMC in West Bengal is a double-edged sword and has decided to put a stop to it. For the last few months, the BJP was admitting any and everyone from the TMC in order to beef up its ranks and create a hole in the ruling party's armour. But the strategy has angered dedicated BJP workers across the state who said that the party is admitting the riff-raff of the regional party and consequently, its image is getting tarnished. They feel that if this continues, the party will be branded as the B-Team of the TMC and lose its distinct identity. The workers also feel that it is the party's distinct and separate identity that is working in its favour and if it loses that it will be very difficult to convince people to vote for it.
Taking cognizance of the grievances aired by middle level leaders in the districts and party workers, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, in-charge of West Bengal, said that there will be no more mass joining and people will be admitted only after proper verification. "We don't want the BJP to turn into the B-team of the TMC by inducting leaders who don't have a clean image. We don't want people, facing allegations or are involved in immoral or illegal activities, to join our party". he said. He also added that although the central and state leadership will take a call on such joining, those who wish to join would henceforth need to obtain a no-objection certificate from the local or district leadership.
The BJP is in a dilemma. As Amit Shah has repeatedly said that by the time the elections are held no one will be left in the TMC, the party wants to take in as many defectors as it can. But it has to deal with its loyal local leadership, people who have been with the party and working for it when it did not have any base in the state. These are the people who have built the party and they now resent the manner in which the TMC defectors are muscling. The BJP has decided to address their grievances and will henceforth include their opinion before deciding who to admit in the party. This is a good step as the party cannot afford to alienate loyal party leaders for newcomers who might leave it again if it does not do well in the ensuing polls.
