Kolkata: Rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs, who have formed a separate parliamentary bloc and extended support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), will not be accommodated in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya. The BJP will also assess what these rebel MPs are asking for "in return," a party leader said.
BJP's stance on rebel TMC MPs
"They have created a bloc by themselves. It is absolutely their prerogative. But none of them came to BJP and the party has not inducted anyone. There has been no fresh joining since the May 4 results," said Bhattacharya. On Monday, a dissident faction of 20 TMC MPs met Union minister Bhupender Yadav at his residence over tea and extended their support to the NDA.
Internal dynamics of TMC
"They might have been feeling alone following their internal equations in the party. These individual leaders have now united and rebelled against the party," Bhattacharya said. He added, "If a faction wants to extend its support, no political bloc will refuse it. But BJP is a political party, not a sankirtan group."
Past grievances and current position
"Our workers and leaders have not forgotten the past and how Trinamool tortured them," Bhattacharya said, while claiming that BJP was a mere observer in the breaking of Trinamool. "If someone visits us, we can offer a cup of tea, but nothing more can be expected of us at this stage," he said.
Future prospects
Claiming that there will be "more such breakaway factions" in days to come, Bhattacharya said, "Such factions are not abnormal in a multi-party democracy. There is a process through which a party breaks. It doesn't break arbitrarily." He also expressed concern about the lack of a strong opposition in the state, stating, "I am trying to find an opposition in the state... It is not healthy for a democracy if there is no opposition or no force to move a no confidence motion in the assembly."
Political courtesy and assessment
With Bhattacharya saying that a cup of tea at Yadav's house was more of a political courtesy, a Bengal BJP leader indicated that there was no proposal for direct membership now. "They have made a decision for themselves. Our central leadership will assess what they are asking for in return," the leader said.
