Trinamool says BJP captured 6 of its offices in East Midnapore

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers have allegedly captured offices of West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in at least six places in the latter’s stronghold of East Midnapore district. The offices were allegedly ransacked and TMC flags were torn before the BJP workers hoisted theirs.

TMC supporters blocked roads with wooden logs in response and demanded immediate arrest of the accused. They alleged police inaction and dillydallying.

“Bike-borne BJP workers came in the [Friday] evening and ransacked at least six of our party offices in Khejuri. Our flags were torn and documents were set on fire. They then occupied the party offices. The police did nothing,” said Sheik Naushad, a local TMC leader in Khejuri.

The BJP refuted the allegations, saying that those were BJP’s offices and the TMC is making baseless allegations so that their workers could be implicated in false cases.

“Those were not TMC party offices. The people who constructed the party offices are now supporting the BJP. That is why they removed the TMC’s flag and hoisted the BJP flag,” said Suman Das, a local BJP leader.

TMC’s allegations came hours after Suvendu Adhikari quit chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet, further widening his rift with the ruling party.

“The BJP attacking TMC party offices in East Midnapore reveals everything. More than a TMC stronghold, it is a bastion of the Adhikari family – Suvendu Ahikari, his father Sishir Adhikari, and brother Dibyendu Adhikari, both TMC MPs from East Midnapore district. Out of the 16 assembly constituencies in East Midnapore, the TMC won 13 in 2016 while the Left parties bagged the rest,” said a TMC leader.

Suvendu Adhikari, who has been throwing a veiled challenge at the TMC leadership over the past few days, resigned from the cabinet on Friday adding to the speculation his joining the BJP is just a matter of time.

Adhikari was unavailable for comments.

“Our leaders are already in touch with some TMC leaders. BJP MP Arjun Singh has said that at least five TMC MPs would resign from the party soon. He has named Adhikari. Maybe he is touch,” said Dilip Ghosh, president of the BJP’s Bengal unit.

The BJP, which got around four percent of the vote share in the 2011 assembly elections, increased its vote share to around 10% in 2016. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party made impressive gains bagging 18 out of the 42 seats and winning around 40% of the vote share.