BJP leader Mukul Roy has conceded that he may have been too adventurous in announcing Manju Bose, a former Trinamool Congress MLA, as the party's candidate for the Noapara byelection.
The BJP was embarrassed on Monday when Bose rebuffed Roy and declared that she would remain loyal to TMC chief Mamata Banerjee.
Speaking on Tuesday, Roy said, “Yes, I was a little adventurous. I told the same to the party. I thought she would be our candidate as she herself expressed her desire to join the BJP. Her husband was killed by some goons owing allegiance to the Trinamool Congress. She told me she would not be part of a group that killed her husband.”
The issue created ripples among BJP leaders in Delhi as the party's election secretary, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, released Bose’s name on Monday from Delhi along with three other candidates for byelections in Rajasthan. However, hours later, Bose held a press conference at her house and denounced the BJP.
Bose’s candidature was initially opposed by BJP state president Dilip Ghosh. But Roy held a meeting with BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayavargiya and made Ghosh fall in line. Ghosh had to send Bose’s name to Delhi.
The political goof-up reportedly made Nadda angry. He called up BJP president Amit Shah, who is in the northeast, and reportedly expressed dissatisfaction over the issue. Shah spoke to Ghosh, who washed his hands off the matter and put the blame entirely on Roy.
Though Ghosh did not accept the claim, Roy was asked by Shah not to do anything in a hurry.
“In fact, I did not speak to Bose. Mukul Roy spoke to Bose and arranged a meeting with Vijayavargiyaji at Kolkata airport. Bose reportedly agreed. But soon after her name was declared, the Trinamool Congress put pressure on her and threatened her with dire consequences,” said Ghosh.
Bose said she had never assured the BJP of contesting the election.
“Forget about contesting election, I did not join BJP. How could they expect me to contest election unless I join the party? I have full faith in Mamata Banerjee,” Bose said.
When asked whether she had met Vijayavargiya, Bose claimed she had run into Roy after she had gone to the airport to drop off a relative.
“Mukul Roy used to be a very senior leader of our party. So I met him and talked to him. Vijayavargiya was with him. So I spoke to him as well. That does not mean that I would contest the election with their ticket,’’ said Bose.
Insiders said Ghosh is reportedly unhappy because of the snub he had received from the central leadership.
Since his last visit, Shah has been desperate about growth of the BJP in West Bengal. It seems Shah is in a hurry to expand BJP all over Bengal.
“But Amitji was unhappy at the slow pace with which BJP was expanding. So he was relying heavily on Roy. No one understands that Dilipda has received the party at zero state and is building the party from there,” said a leader who is close to Ghosh.
