Suvendu Adhikari, BJP MLA and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the state legislative assembly, paid a visit to Congress leader Kaustav Bagchi’s residence Wednesday, triggering speculation that the latter may join the saffron camp. Mr Adhikari today went to Mr Bagchi’s residence at Barrackpore and stayed there for about one hour to attend a Ganesh puja programme there. “He is the only opposition leader who always stays beside people,” Mr Bagchi said while speaking to reporters. “I came here because Kaustav invited me,” the Opposition leader said.
Political observers see significance in Mr Adhikari’s meeting Mr Bagchi around two months ahead of general elections. The young Congress leader has been sidelined in his party for the past one year. He was not seen in Tuesday’s Congress programmes organised in the city and adjoining district like North 24-Parganas to protest over the situation in Sandeshkhali.
The duo had met together at BJP leader Sanmoy Bandyopadhyay’s residence during the Durga Puja in 2023. On 23 September in 2023, Mr Adhikari and Mr Kaustav Bagchi together participated in a protest rally of aspiring candidates for school jobs in West Bengal, triggering accusations from ruling Trinamul Congress of a ‘covert alliance’ among the CPI-M, Congress and saffron party in the state.
The demonstration was held by the protesting school jobs aspirants at Camac Street in the southern part of the city, where Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s office is located