The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided not to encourage defections of elected representatives from other parties. They have made it clear that they will not accept defectors into their ranks. This stands in contrast to the strategy of the Trinamool Congress led by outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which welcomed defectors when it came to power in 2011.
A state committee member of the BJP highlighted that the Trinamool Congress had allowed leaders from other parties to join without hesitation in 2011. This led to individuals from the previous Left Front government, known for their misconduct, moving to the new ruling party and continuing their wrongdoings. The BJP member emphasized that they will not follow the same path of encouraging defections.
The BJP’s state president in West Bengal, Samik Bhattacharya, has emphasized that the party will not tolerate revenge politics following the change in government. He warned against forcefully taking over party offices of other political parties and hoisting BJP flags. Bhattacharya urged strong disciplinary actions against those involved in such activities and called for impartial actions by the administration.
