- BJP MP claims TMC leaders are ready to switch parties.
- Leader alleged fifty MLAs, twenty MPs unhappy, awaiting signal.
- TMC MP dismisses defection claims, calls them false.
- Resignations and corruption cases intensify political pressure.
Fresh political tensions erupted in West Bengal on Wednesday after BJP parliamentarian Saumitra Khan claimed that a large section of leaders within the All India Trinamool Congress was prepared to defect to the BJP. Khan alleged that nearly 50 Trinamool MLAs and around 20 MPs were unhappy within the party and were waiting for approval from the BJP’s central leadership to switch sides.
“If the BJP’s central leadership gives the signal, TMC will cease to exist. Everyone is ready to come. About 50 MLAs are unhappy, and 20 MPs are prepared to join,” Khan said, as per a report on India Today.
Saumitra Khan Launches Sharp Attack On Abhishek Banerjee
The BJP MP also targeted Abhishek Banerjee, making strong remarks against the Trinamool leader amid the ongoing political turmoil. The remarks triggered an immediate response from senior Trinamool MP Sougata Roy, who rejected the BJP leader’s claims and accused the saffron party of spreading misinformation.
Sougata Roy dismissed Saumitra Khan’s remarks outright, insisting they were fabricated. He said the BJP leader was deliberately spreading falsehoods and misinformation, adding that there was no possibility of such defections taking place.
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Resignations Fuel Speculation Of Internal Rift
The political controversy comes amid visible unrest inside Trinamool Congress following setbacks in recent elections and growing allegations of corruption involving party leaders. Speculation intensified after Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar attended a meeting chaired by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, where several Trinamool MLAs were also reportedly present.
Kakoli was recently removed as the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha and later granted Y-category security by the Centre, developments that fuelled rumours of possible defections.
Meanwhile, nearly 100 councillors across multiple municipalities have reportedly resigned in recent days, creating instability in civic bodies controlled by the Trinamool Congress.
Municipal Crisis Deepens Pressure On TMC
The crisis has become particularly severe in North 24 Parganas district. In Bhatpara municipality, 30 out of 35 councillors, including chairperson Reba Raha, reportedly resigned from their posts. Similar developments have been reported from Halisahar and Kanchrapara municipalities.
Bhatpara vice-chairperson Debajyoti Ghosh stated that he had “no alternative” but to resign, citing unpaid salaries and lack of support from the party leadership.
At the same time, the BJP-led administration under Suvendu Adhikari has announced scrutiny of past municipal activities, warning of action in cases involving irregularities. Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul said administrators were being appointed in municipalities where councillors had stopped attending offices.
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Corruption Cases Add To Political Pressure
The political turbulence has been compounded by ongoing corruption investigations involving Trinamool leaders.
Former minister Sujit Bose was recently arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with alleged irregularities linked to civic recruitment.
