In a significant political development, former MP and Union minister of state John Barla joined chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s official programme at Subhasini tea plantation in Alipurduar today, sharing the dais with her.

Chief minister Banerjee welcomed Mr Barla warmly, addressing him as the former MP of Alipurduar and engaging in a brief interaction with him on stage.

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This marks a notable shift for Mr Barla, who had been distancing himself from the BJP following the party’s decision to replace him with Manoj Tigga as their candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. While Mr Barla had participated in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election rally during campaigning, he had expressed dissatisfaction with the BJP leadership.

Yesterday, Mr Barla arrived in Alipurduar at the invitation of the chief minister. Speaking to the media, he disclosed his grievances against the BJP, stating that both the state and central leadership had failed to respect him as a leader.

“Decisions were made without my knowledge. Although I raised concerns about the state leadership with central leaders, no action was taken. They tried to win the Madarihat Assembly seat without my involvement, but the BJP ultimately lost,” Mr Barla said.

Calling chief minister Mamata Banerjee “the guardian of West Bengal”, Mr Barla emphasised the need for dialogue to bring development to the Dooars region. “She invited me to this programme. I contested elections for the people. I have plans to contest again. The future will decide, and the people will judge,” he added.

Suvendu Adhikari Responds

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari dismissed Mr Barla’s actions, claiming he was no longer a primary member of the BJP. “He wouldn’t be able to show an ID number for his party membership. When Barla was dropped, he wanted to sabotage Manoj Tigga but failed. Like Babul Supriyo, Barla also craves power and has now joined Trinamul Congress,” Mr Adhikari said.

Mr Barla’s unexpected appearance at a TMC event has sparked speculation about his political future and potential alignment with the ruling party.