Kolkata: In a surprise turn of events, suspended BJP leader Jay Prakash Majumdar joined Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday in presence of party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the State Coordination Committee meeting at Nazrul Mancha in Kolkata.
Until recently, Jay Prakash Majumdar was the spokesperson of the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Having joined BJP in 2014, he was suspended from the saffron party in January 2022, and has been speaking against his party ever since.
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On Monday, BJP MP Locket Chatterjee was seen in a meeting with the suspended party leaders including Jay Prakash Majumdar at an undisclosed location in Kolkata, which gave rise to speculation of the widening rift within the state BJP unit.
Locket Chatterjee has also hit out at the BJP leadership for its apparent ineptitude after the disastrous performance in the 2021 Assembly elections and subsequent local and municipal polls.
In January, the Bengal BJP “temporarily suspended” two senior leaders for allegedly indulging in activities that went against the party – veteran party member Ritesh Tiwari and Jay Prakash Majumdar. Prior to this development, the two leaders had been issued show cause notices and asked to explain their alleged anti-party activities.
Soon after his joining, Majumdar was inducted into the TMC’s state committee. Among those present at the event were senior TMC leaders such as education minister Partha Chatterjee and Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim. Banerjee addressed the event, meant to commemorate International Women’s Day, before Majumdar was officially accepted into the party.
Agencies
