A statement by Bengal BJP leader Sabyasachi Dutta, who had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections from Bidhannagar, has triggered speculation of him leaving the party.

There is strong indication that the former Mayor of Bidhannagar Municipality, who jumped ship from the Trinamool Congress to the saffron camp just before the Assembly elections, got in touch with the Trinamool leadership and might switch camp soon.

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Speaking to the media on the Lakhimpur Kheri incident on Wednesday, Dutta said, “I have seen the incident on the television. It is not important to whom the vehicle belongs to… It is a tragic incident and the people responsible for it should be hanged.”

Speaking on Section 144 of CrPC imposed by the Yogi Adiyanath-led Uttar Pradesh government, the former Trinamool Congress MLA said, “This cannot be a method to throttle any movement. This is a democratic country. We are not living under a Taliban government.”

The statement triggered speculation of Dutta switching camps. The speculation is even more convincing because there were already rumours in the political circles that Dutta, who is a state secretary in West Bengal BJP, has got in touch with the Trinamool Congress leadership and it is only a matter of time before he returns to his previous party.

However, party insiders are of the opinion that Dutta’s entry into the party will not be smooth because of stiff resistance from the local leadership.

Dutta has a tainted relationship with Bidhannagar MLA and state minister Sujit Bose and also with the MLA from Rajarhat Newtown, Tapas Chatterjee, who have already expressed their reservation about the ‘ghar-wapsi’ of the former Trinamool MLA.

However, it is learnt that a message has already been sent to both these leaders and their camps to refrain from any public demonstration of animosity.