MLAs of saffron camp put up at hotel ahead of Monday’s poll

All 69 BJP MLAs — down from 77 that the party had in 2021 after the Assembly elections — were asked to check into the hotel by Sunday afternoon

NDA leaders greet presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on Sunday.: PTI

Arkamoy Datta Majumdar   |   TT  |  Calcutta   |   18.07.22  : The BJP on Sunday packed all its MLAs in Bengal off to a New Town hotel amid murmurs of a fear in the party that a section of the legislators would indulge in cross-voting during Monday’s presidential poll. All 69 BJP MLAs — down from 77 that the party had in 2021 after the Assembly elections — were asked to check into the hotel by Sunday afternoon.

Most of those legislators were bussed into the hotel from the MLA hostel on Kyd Street in central Calcutta where they had put up on Saturday night. On Monday morning, the MLAs will be ferried to the Assembly where they will participate in the presidential poll.

According to the BJP’s chief whip in the Assembly, Manoj Tigga, this exercise is a result of an instruction received from the central leadership to ensure that none of the votes is cancelled. Since most of the BJP lawmakers are serving their maiden terms, it is necessary that they are thoroughly trained on how to participate in the complicated presidential poll process, he said.“All of us will be staying at this hotel today. There will be multiple meetings and legislators will receive training on how to go about the polls,” Tigga said.

However, several sources in the BJP refused to toe Tigga’s line. Multiple party leaders told The Telegraph that the real motive was to ensure that everybody turned up for the polls on Monday and that nobody indulged in cross-voting. “One training session was already conducted at the Nizam Palace (in Calcutta) on Saturday evening.

If it was just about training the MLAs, they could’ve very well done so at the hotel and then be allowed to the MLA hostel or their respective residences. What is the point in herding them into a hotel overnight?” a state BJP office-bearer asked.

The saffron camp is abuzz with rumours that a section of the party MLAs are in touch with the Trinamul Congress. Cross-voting in Bengal isn’t going to make much of a difference in the outcome of the presidential poll. NDA’s candidate Droupadi Murmu is likely to emerge as India’s next President when the results are announced on July 21.

However, if some BJP MLAs do vote for Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha, it would turn out to be a colossal embarrassment for the party. Sources said about 35 rooms were booked at the New Town hotel. According to the hotel’s official website, the lowest available room tariff is normally around Rs 5,500.

In addition to that, the cost for two meals — lunch and dinner — can well be around Rs 1,500 per head. Evidently, the saffron camp is spending a handsome sum to prevent any embarrassment on Monday. While one room is allotted to two MLAs in some cases, others have been assigned single rooms.

Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari joined his colleagues later on Sunday evening. The practice of herding lawmakers into hotels had last been seen in June when rebel Shiv Sena MLAs in Maharashtra had spent days at hotels in Surat, Guwahati and Goa before they arrived in Mumbai to dismantle the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government.This particular New Town hotel had previously been used for several meetings and conferences by the BJP. Union home minister Amit Shah had also stayed there. However, never had legislators been herded here before.