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

The BJP central management is in touch with disgruntled Trinamool Congress mass chief Suvendu Adhikari, who resigned from the Mamata Banerjee cupboard on Friday, but nothing has been decided as of now concerning his becoming a member of the saffron social gathering, sources in it mentioned.

Mr. Adhikari, they mentioned, is in good phrases with some of the saffron camp leaders but talks concerning his situations for becoming a member of the social gathering are but to start.

The BJP is, nonetheless, hopeful about his becoming a member of as it feels that the heavyweight TMC chief has “few options left,” a senior BJP chief mentioned.

“We are in touch with Suvendu Adhikari. We share good terms with him but nothing has been decided as of now reagrding his joining us. We have to wait for few more days to have a clear picture,” the chief mentioned on situation of anonymity.

Although Mr. Adhikari has resigned from the Mamata Banerjee cupboard in which he was the Minister in cost of transport, waterways and irrigation, he has not resigned from TMC or as MLA.

“After resigning as Minister it will be tough for Mr. Adhikari to continue in Trinamool. So the options before him are floating a new party or joining BJP or Congress,” the BJP chief mentioned.

“It takes a lot of money and human resource to float a new political outfit, which we don’t think is possible at this juncture,” he mentioned.

The choice for Mr. Adhikari to affix the Congress is much less as the social gathering may be very weak in Bengal. “So the only option left is the BJP, which we think is the most beneficial proposition for both of us,” he mentioned.

Sources mentioned Mr. Adhikari’s exit from the cupboard is seen as a prelude to his severing of his two-decade-old affiliation withe Trinamool Congress proper kind its inception in 1988.

The Trinamool management, which had initiated backchannel talks with him, has decided to undertake a “wait and watch” strategy and won’t provoke any additional talks to deal with his grievances, sources in the social gathering mentioned.

Apart from his house district of East Midnapore, Mr. Adhikari has affect over a minimum of 40-45 Assembly segments in tribal Jangalmahal space comprising the districts of West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia and Jhargram and components of Birbhum and minority-dominated Murshidabad district.

This assumes significance as polls in the State, the place BJP has made deep inroads, is due in April-May 2021 when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will search to return to energy for the third consecutive time period.