Senior Trinamool Congress leader and former railways minister Dinesh Trivedi — whose relationship with his party chief Mamata Banerjee has been tentative in past years — seems all set to join the BJP.
“The possibility (of joining the BJP) is very much there. A big deal of positive energy has come to surround the political space after BJP government’s assumption of office. Time has come for all of us to contribute positively and discard the politics of negativity,” Trivedi told HT.
Saying that “it was difficult” to work with Banerjee, he described PM Narendra Modi as a “good friend” whom “he had known and kept in touch with since the 90s”. Banerjee had forced Trivedi to resign as railways minister in March 2012 after he announced a hike in passenger fares in his maiden railway budget.
Trivedi is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Wednesday.
He is not the only one making a beeline to join the BJP. A few days ago, West Bengal minister of state for refugee relief Manjul Krishna Thakur resigned from the TMC to join the BJP.
In Punjab, former Congress Working Committee member Jagmeet Singh Brar, brother Ripjit Singh Brar, a former Punjab legislator, and many of their supporters are set to join the BJP which is giving a tough time to its decades-old ally Akali Dal. Brar’s exit marks the second phase of exodus from the party since April last year. Congress leaders Jagdambika Pal, Satpal Maharaj, Rao Inderjit Singh, D Purandeshwari, Venod Sharma joined the BJP before the Lok Sabha polls last year. Choudhary Birender Singh and recently Krishna Tirath followed suit.
{{/usCountry}}In Punjab, former Congress Working Committee member Jagmeet Singh Brar, brother Ripjit Singh Brar, a former Punjab legislator, and many of their supporters are set to join the BJP which is giving a tough time to its decades-old ally Akali Dal. Brar’s exit marks the second phase of exodus from the party since April last year. Congress leaders Jagdambika Pal, Satpal Maharaj, Rao Inderjit Singh, D Purandeshwari, Venod Sharma joined the BJP before the Lok Sabha polls last year. Choudhary Birender Singh and recently Krishna Tirath followed suit.
{{/usCountry}}Political observers say this is not a new phenomenon as a similar situation was witnessed between 1998 and 2004 when the BJP was on the rise.