8 key BJP leaders in Alipurduar join TMC : include district president, vice-president, general secretary, secretary

MP | 21 JUNE 21 | KOLKATA: At a time when BJP leaders in the state are divided over Alipurduar MP John Barla's pitch for a separate identity for eight North Bengal districts, Trinamool Congress (TMC) made a major dent in the saffron party's stronghold as eight key functionaries of the BJP including Alipurduar district president Ganga Prasad Sharma joined the state's ruling party on Monday. Interestingly, it is for the first time that the district president, vice-president, general secretary and secretary of any saffron party unit joined TMC, leaving the unit to function without any guardian. 

After handing over the Trinamool flags to these key leaders—Ganga Prasad Sharma (president), Biplab Sarkar ( vice-president), Birendra Bora ( general secretary), Vinod Minch (secretary)— along with TMC leaders Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and Bratya Basu, Mukul Roy said it was the beginning of the end for the BJP in North Bengal. 

The other leaders who joined TMC are Ashim Kumar Lama, Nishan Lama, convener of Kalchini Assembly seat, Kripashankar Jaiswal, co convener and Kishore Kumar Viswakarma. Meanwhile, at least 500 BJP workers joined TMC in adjacent Cooch Behar district. About 60 families of BJP supporters joined TMC at Mathabhanga Assembly constituency in the district. 

After joining TMC, Sharma said he had decided to leave the party after he found that the Central leadership had systematically ignored the local unit. "The turncoats were flown to Delhi without informing the local unit. Election meetings had been held keeping the local unit in the dark. As a result, my differences with the central leadership became acute. I could have joined TMC before the election but in that case the leaders would have called me a traitor. BJP has bagged all the five seats in Alipurduar and I joined only after the result of the Assembly election was out," he added. 

Reacting sharply against Barla's statement, Sharma said: "The people did not see him (Barla) in the past two years. To remain active, he has fanned the sentiment of the people. BJP does not do anything to develop North Bengal where there is scope for work." 

Meanwhile, Bratya Basu said: "The demand (to divide North Bengal) has exposed the double standards of BJP. On one hand, the party celebrated June 20 as West Bengal Day and at the same time it was talking about division of North Bengal. This is nothing but shameless hypocrisy." 

Commenting on Suvendu Adhikari's statement that Sharma had joined Trinamool after he was denied ticket to contest the Assembly election, Sharma asked: "Had Adhikari lost the election would he still continue in the BJP?" 

"BJP should have given Manoj Tigga, the leader of Opposition's post. But the party has always neglected the original leaders," Sharma maintained. "Trinamool's organisation in Alipurduar will be strengthened after the induction of the BJP leaders," said Sukhendu Sekhar Roy. 

http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/8-key-bjp-leaders-in-alipurduar-join-tmc-444192