After being denied a ticket from Barrackpore Lok Sabha (LS) seat by Trinamul Congress, disgruntled leader of the ruling party in the state Arjun Singh is all set to join BJP on Friday.
Yesterday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had commented that Arjun Singh is a “BJP MP and as an individual, for which party he wants to fight he has to decide”.
Ending much-publicised speculations on his changing camps Mr Singh is flying to Delhi tonight where central leadership of the saffron party is scheduled to hand over the party flag with lotus symbol to him on Friday.
While speaking to reporters in Kolkata, Mr Singh on Thursday said he would return to the BJP after he was denied a party ticket from the Barrackpore parliamentary constituency which he represents.
But nothing has been divulged by him whether he would contest again from Barrackpore LS seat this time after his joining the BJP.
The Barrackpore strongman also claimed that a ‘top leader of the Trinamul Congress’ would also join BJP along with him.
It would be a rerun of the LS polls in 2019 when Mr Singh had joined BJP quitting Trinamul Congress after the latter denied him a ticket to contest.
He had won the Barrackpore LS seat on a BJP ticket in 2019 but later in 2022 came back to Trinamul Congress. He did not resign as an MP.
“When I joined the Trinamul Congress in 2022, I was promised that I would be re-nominated as the TMC’s candidate from the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat. But the party did not keep its promise and betrayed me. So, I have decided to return to the BJP,” he said.
On Sunday, Trinamul Congress had announced its candidate list for the 42 seats and fielded state irrigation minister Partha Bhowmick from the Barrackpore constituency.
As a damage control measure, the Trinamul Congress leadership led by party supremo Mamata Banerjee had reportedly proposed that he be nominated in Baranagar assembly seat where a by-election is scheduled to be held in next six months.
He started making scathing attacks on the Trinamul Congress leadership since he was not found in the candidate list of the ruling party.
With the resignation of Tapas Roy as a Trinamul Congress leader from Baranagar hardly couple weeks ago bypolls are lying due there in the assembly. Mr Roy has joined BJP quitting Trinamul Congress.
On the other hand, speculation is rife that Mr Singh may be fielded again in Barrackpore on a BJP ticket again to fight against his rival Mr Bhowmick.