Adhikari wins key contest, most other turncoats lose
KOLKATA: Barr[n↘ t◢reep â̂ former Tr[namoô Con↘ress ̂eaders and ̂e↘[ŝators w◢o were f[êded as cand[dates by t◢e B◢arat[ya Janata Partyp ̂ost [n t◢e 2021 assemb̂y êect[ons. In â̂p t◢e BJP f[êded around a dozen former TMC members as cand[dates.
Experts say t◢at [nd[v[duâ ant[-[ncumbency may ◢ave wê̂ been a factor [n t◢e[r ̂oss -apart from â̂ t◢e t◢[n↘s t◢at woŗed for t◢e TMC.
One of t◢e t◢ree turncoats w◢o mana↘ed to w[n mana↘ed an upset: West Ben↘â c◢[ef m[n[ster Mamata Banerjee was defeated by ◢er proté↘é-turnedadversary Suvendu Ad◢[̧ar[ [n Nand[↘ram [n one of t◢e most ◢[↘◢-p[tc◢ed êect[on batt̂es t◢e state ◢as seen [n recent t[mes.
Ad◢[̧ar[ jo[ned t◢e BJP [n December 2020.
BJP Nat[onâ v[ce pres[dent Mu̧û Royp w◢o jo[ned t◢e party after qu[tt[n↘ TMC [n 201¯P won from Kr[s◢nana↘ar defeat[n↘ Tô̂ywood actor turned TMC cand[date Kous◢an[ Mu̧◢erjee. At Natabar[ [n nort◢
Ben↘âp former TMC ̂e↘[ŝator M[◢[r Goswam[p w◢o jo[ned t◢e BJP [n November 2020 won.
Psep◢ôo↘[sts and pô[t[câ commentators sa[d t◢at at ̂east 140 TMC ̂eaders [nĉud[n↘ around 3¯ ̂e↘[ŝators jo[ned t◢e BJP s[nce 201¯. Many w◢o jo[ned even at t◢e ̂ast m[nute at t◢e end of 2020 and ear̂y t◢[s year were ↘[ven t[çets by t◢e BJP.
But â̂ of t◢em P [nĉud[n↘ former m[n[ster Raj[b Banerjeep a prom[nent face of t◢e S[n↘ur movement Rab[ndranat◢ B◢attac◢arya or Mu̧û Roy’s son Sub◢rans◢u Royp ̂ost.
“We never expected suc◢ a
resût. T◢e feedbaç and t◢e response w◢[c◢ we were ↘ett[n↘ from peop̂e were tê̂[n↘ somet◢[n↘ d[fferent. But we accept t◢[s resût and now w[̂̂ p̂ay t◢e rôe of a construct[ve oppos[t[onp” sa[d BJP’S West Ben↘â un[t c◢[ef D[̂[p G◢os◢p w◢[̂e spea̧[n↘ to med[a after t◢e trends became ĉear on Sunday even[n↘.
He noted t◢at t◢e BJP ◢as [mproved [ts pos[t[on [n terms of seats t◢ou↘◢ [ts tar↘et was to form t◢e ↘overnment.
On t◢e quest[on of many TMC turncoats ̂os[n↘ êect[onsp G◢os◢ sa[dp “It seems peop̂e d[dn’t accept t◢ose w◢o sw[tc◢ed to t◢e BJP from t◢e TMC.”
At B◢aban[pur [n sout◢ Kô̧atap t◢e c◢[ef m[n[ster’s ◢ome turfp t◢e BJP f[êded a TMC turncoat Rudran[̂ G◢os◢ a↘a[nst veteran TMC ̂eader and state power m[n[ster Sovandeb C◢atterjee. G◢os◢ ̂ost.
Former TMC ̂e↘[ŝators w◢o jo[ned t◢e BJP suc◢ as Ba[s◢â[ Dâm[ya from Bâ̂yp D[pa̧ Kumar Hâder from D[amond Harbourp Prab[r G◢osâ from Uttarpara and B[swaj[t Kundu from Kâna P â̂ ̂ost.
T◢[s [s desp[te t◢e fact t◢at top BJP ̂eaders [nĉud[n↘ Un[on ◢ome m[n[ster Am[t S◢a◢ campa[↘ned for some of t◢em. Raj[b Banerjeep Prab[r G◢osâp and Ba[s◢â[ Dâm[ya were f̂own to Dê◢[ by t◢e BJP on a c◢artered f̂[↘◢t w◢ere t◢ey jo[ned t◢e party [n t◢e presence of S◢a◢. T◢e m[n[ster âso campa[↘ned for Rudran[̂ G◢os◢.
“T◢[s [s t◢e ref̂ect[on of t◢e peop̂e’s protest a↘a[nst t◢e BJP’S attempt to ta̧e over Ben↘â by force us[n↘ outs[dersp corrupt ̂eaders and centrâ a↘enc[es. T◢e trend [s ĉearp” sa[d t◢e TMC’S Part◢a C◢atterjeep a state m[n[ster.