The BJP is set to induct another Trinamool Congress MLA into the party in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah at an event in Kolkata on Tuesday. It will be the first BJP meeting to be held at a West Bengal government-run indoor stadium, and assumes significance with to the presence of Shah.
Netaji Indoor Stadium, located near Hooghly river behind Eden Gardens, is run by the sports ministry of the West Bengal government. The approval for the meeting marks a key change in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s attitude towards the BJP with political observers attributing it to her meeting with PM Narendra Modi and Shah a few days back in New Delhi.
Did Shah seek an answer as to why senior BJP leaders were not given a state government-run auditorium for holding meetings before? “No idea. But she has understood that she might have no control on government properties after a few years. Or maybe, she is afraid of us,” said a West Bengal BJP vice-president.
BJP leaders such as Shah, Yogi Adityanath and even RSS leader Mohan Bhagwat were denied permission to hold meetings at least six times at Netaji Indoor Stadium during the last five years. Each time, according to party leaders, the BJP was denied permission by the state government either in the name of government functions or events or maintenance in the stadium.
also read
- Will not implement Uniform Civil Code, CAA and NRC in West Bengal: CM Mamata
- Congress creating north-south divide to break India: Amit Shah
- TMC vs NIA: Agency's Kolkata SP called to Delhi after BJP leader 'carrying envelope' met him
- Lok Sabha polls: CRPF, BSF personnel leave Manipur for West Bengal
- FIR filed against NIA officers after arrested TMC leader's wife alleges assault
However, Banerjee’s meeting in Delhi with PM and Shah has resolved the impasse over the biggest indoor stadium in eastern India. But questions remain on how long would this ethical politics can last in the state.
Though the BJP would pay a few lakhs of rupees for a day's use of the stadium, Shah is giving a major blow to Banerjee in return.
If things go as planned, Sabyasachi Dutta, an MLA and former mayor of Bidhan Nagar (Salt Lake) Corporation, would join the BJP at the meeting. Dutta, a heavyweight in the TMC who is widely known as be a "fund-raiser" for the party, had a huge number of youth followers. As a result, Banerjee made him one of her close confidantes once.
He, however, fell out with the TMC chief over the rise of Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, which made Mukul Roy and many others exit the party. Incidentally, Dutta was a close confidante of Roy as well.
Dutta refused to comment if he was joining the BJP on Tuesday.
Sources in the party said Shah will open a few Durga Puja pandals at Salt Lake area controlled by Dutta. Later in the day, from the podium of the stadium, he would give an important message to the party workers on the next assembly election to be held in 2021.
It is to be seen whether Shah would make any statement on the ongoing investigation of Saradha and Rose Valley scams, which has heated up the state politics. West Bengal BJP would definitely like him to raise the issues. If he does not, the left and the Congress would term it a result of “political understanding” between the BJP and the TMC.
