A host of former Trinamool Congress leaders, who had defected to the BJP just before the assembly polls this year, are now reportedly keen to sever ties with the saffron party to return to their old political outfit. They include several MLAs and at least one MP.
Leading the pack was Sonali Guha, who had defected to the BJP after the Trinamool denied her a ticket in the assembly polls. With the Trinamool winning a landslide, Guha wrote to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee admitting her mistakes and expressed her desire to return to her old party.
“Just like a fish cannot stay out of the water, I will not be able to live without you. Didi, I seek your forgiveness and if you don’t forgive me, I won’t be able to live. Please allow me to come back and spend the rest of my life in your affection,” The Hindu quoted Guha’s letter to Banerjee.
Another leader making desperate attempts to return to the Trinamool is Sarala Murmu, who had defected to the BJP even though her name was announced for as a candidate from Habibpur Assembly constituency in Malda. Like Guha, Sarala too has said that it was a mistake by her to leave the Trinamool. “I committed a mistake and want Didi (Mamata) to pardon me for that. If she accepts me, I will stay with her and work for the party diligently,” New Indian Express quoted her as saying.
Amal Acharya, ex-MLA from Itahar in North Dinajpur, too said that joining the BJP was a mistake. Acharya said that he was hurt after he was denied a ticket by the Trinamool in the assembly polls.
Dipendu Biswas, another former TMC leader, too left the BJP this week even though he has not made his intention clear on returning to his old party.
Despite launching a high-octane campaign and engineering large-scale defections from the Trinamool, the BJP failed to stop Mamata Banerjee’s historic win. The Trinamool won more than 200 seats in the 294-seat assembly.