Not feeling comfortable with BJP: MP Sunil Mondal sparks speculation

Lok Sabha MP Sunil Mondal, who joined the BJP ahead of the West Bengal elections, said on Tuesday that he was not "feeling comfortable" in his new party as promises made to him were not kept, triggering speculations over his future political move.

Kolkata: Lok Sabha MP Sunil Mondal, who joined the BJP ahead of the West Bengal elections, said on Tuesday that he was not "feeling comfortable" in his new party as promises made to him were not kept, triggering speculations over his future political move. Mondal, who won the Bardhaman Purba seat on a TMC ticket in the Lok Sabha elections of 2019, made the comment as his former party was making representations with Speaker Om Birla to disqualify him under the anti-defection law.

Speaking to reporters, Mondal said that though he had made every effort to ensure BJP's victory in the district, there was a trust deficit within the party on those who switched over from TMC. "The BJP doesn't believe those who joined from the TMC. Even my belief about the organisational strength of the BJP has been belied. I am not feeling comfortable here," he said.

Mondal claimed that those who came to campaign for the BJP during the West Bengal elections from outside the state had no idea about the Bengali culture. "With the majority of the people in rural areas not familiar with Hindi, their speeches failed to connect with the masses," he said. Mondal joined the BJP along with Suvendu Adhikari at a rally of Home Minister Amit Shah in Kharagpur in December last year. "Suvendu did not keep his promise of working together. He did not keep in touch with me. I don't have any contact with him now," he claimed.

Mondal asked the BJP to lift his security as he has no objection. Slamming imposition of Article 356, Mondal said West Bengal government has been formed with two-third majority. He said there is no point in imposing Article 356.

Asked if he was looking to return to his former party TMC, Mondal said he will think about it. With these comments, Mondal joined a long list of leaders who switched over to the BJP ahead of the assembly elections and started putting out feelers to their former party TMC after the poll results were declared. Amid the speculations, BJP's national vice-president Mukul Roy went back to the TMC two days ago. Reacting to Mondal's comment, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said him leaving the party would not matter.

"Our party is like a big river where few self-seekers may come and go," Ghosh said.

Senior Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Bandyopadhyay called Mondal an "insignificant person". "We don't comment on the statement of an insignificant person, an opportunist who has no significant public support," he said.

With inputs from PTI