Desperate attempt by Suvendu Adhikari to resist BJP legislators from joining Trinamool on Wednesday

As Trinamool Congress is ready to organise its Martyrs' Day on July 21, Wednesday, speculations are on over the probable number of elected BJP legislators joining the ruling camp from the virtual dais tomorrow. Last year the target of poaching for Trinamool was Congress and Left Front since they were the principal opposition back then. But this year the target is obviously BJP since the saffron camp is the only opposition in the West Bengal legislative assembly.

Kolkata: As Trinamool Congress is ready to organise its Martyrs' Day on July 21, Wednesday, speculations are on over the probable number of elected BJP legislators joining the ruling camp from the virtual dais tomorrow. Last year the target of poaching for Trinamool was Congress and Left Front since they were the principal opposition back then. But this year the target is obviously BJP since the saffron camp is the only opposition in the West Bengal legislative assembly.

BJP sources told ETV Bharat, the leader of the opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari is going all out till the last moment to resist that. He is contacting each and every MLA, whom the party leaders suspect of possible camp shifting and trying to feel the pulse. Adhikari has contacted some of these MLAs over the phone. He is also reaching out to them personally either at their residences or at the MLA hostel in Kolkata.

Party sources further said that Adhikari has also interacted with each of the remaining 74 BJP legislators. "This he has done following the instruction of the party's central leadership. He enquired from each of them on the problems faced by them in functioning as an MLA. Adhikari has also detailed report on the synopsis of the discussions to the party high command in New Delhi," he said.

However, for BJP, sources admit that preventing elected representatives from joining Trinamool on Wednesday is really a big challenge for the party. They said that there is information that some of the elected MLAs and MPs of the saffron camp from West Bengal are already in touch with party deserter, Mukul Roy. They have been identified and given messages on behalf of the party leadership. It is yet to be seen how many of them actually join Trinamool.

BJP sources said that it is almost certain that leaders like Rajib Bandopadhyay, Sonali Guha, and Dipendu Biswas will join back Trinamool Congress. However, they are not a concern for BJP leadership at all, since none of them are elected representatives. Their concerns are the elected representatives like MLAs and MPs. However, BJP state general secretary, Sayantan Basu said that the party leadership is confident that not a single MLA or MP will join Trinamool Congress on Wednesday. "Trinamool is just trying to mislead by spreading such rumours. This is their tactic. They are just trying to build up pressure on BJP," he said.