Suvendu Adhikari May Join BJP During Amit Shah’s Bengal Rally, More TMC Leaders Likely To Follow: Sources

Speculations about Adhikari switching over to the saffron camp are rife as several disgruntled lawmakers rallied behind him.

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West Bengal Politics: Rebel Trinamool Congress leader Suvendu Adhikari who on Wednesday resigned as an MLA, is likely to join Bharatiya Janata Party, during Amit Shah’s rally on Saturday sources have claimed. The speculation, if consolidated on Saturday, will be a hard-hitting assault by the Bharatiya Janata Party at the ruling TMC, against which it is pitched in an embittered electoral battle. Speculations about Adhikari switching over to the saffron camp are rife as several disgruntled lawmakers rallied behind him. Sources have claimed that TMC MP Sunil Mondal is likely to join BJP too. Sources have also said that Adhikari will not be going to Delhi and is likely to get inducted to saffron party during Shah’s rally. Earlier it was said that Adhikari was planning to fly to New Delhi within a day or two. Adhikari, who was the face of the Nandigram movement that added to the political heft of Mamata Banerjee and catapulted her to power in West Bengal in 2011, submitted his resignation letter to the assembly secretary. He had resigned from the state cabinet last month. Triggering speculations, Adhikari had then held a closed door meet with the disgruntled leaders including Asansol civic body chief Jitendra Tiwari and senior MP Sunil Mandal at the latter's residence at Kanksa area in Paschim Bardhaman district. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to be on a two-day visit to West Bengal starting Saturday. Meanwhile, a peeved Mamata Banerjee called the deserters of ruling TMC "opportunists and cowards" and accused BJP of trying to coerce Trinamool Congress leaders to join the saffron party by using ‘moneybags’.