New Delhi: In an attempt to pacify agitated workers in West Bengal, the BJP has prepared a list of TMC leaders who joined the party recently and were denied tickets to contest the Assembly polls. BJP leaders will explain to the workers that tickets were given only to those with a high chance of winnability.
After the announcement of BJP candidates, the saffron party workers had protested at the party office in Kolkata and at other districts’ offices in the state over giving tickets to ‘turncoat’ leaders. West Bengal BJP workers alleged that a few of the candidates, who have been given tickets, have cases of attacking saffron party workers when they were in the ruling TMC.
A senior party leader said, “It is true that some of the turncoats got BJP tickets to contest assembly polls but it is also true that all of them who joined us have not got tickets.” In the last six to eight months several TMC leaders including a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government, MLA, and senior workers had joined the BJP. Some of the big names like Suvendu Adhikari and Rajib Banerjee got tickets along with several other sitting MLAs.
Another senior party leader said that about two and a half dozen senior TMC leaders who joined the BJP were denied tickets and the list is under preparation. “Our senior leaders while interacting with dissenting workers tell them that there are many who joined the BJP in recent times and were not considered for the ticket,” he said.
The list of turncoats who were denied tickets has been given to all the senior BJP leaders so that they can inform the agitated workers.
“We have to explain to our workers that those leaders who have no ground support were not considered for the party ticket. Only deserving ones got the tickets,” he said.
A West Bengal BJP leader said that those who joined the party a year ago or before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and were holding positions in the party at different levels were not named in the list. “TMC leaders, who joined the party over a year ago and are working for the BJP are not named in the list and there is also less anger against them among the cadre,” he said.
The BJP central leadership has taken dissent among the cadre over ticket distribution seriously and had a discussion with the state leaders in detail. The Central leadership has directed the West Bengal unit to address the anger of the cadre.