By Anirudh Singla
With veteran political leader, Mukul Roy joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and ending his long association with the Trinamool Congress, a lot of things suddenly find themselves in loose strings. Being called as a marriage of convenience written in mutual discomfort in journalistic circles, both subjects are still in conceptualities involving moral flexibility. With the ceremonial function reflecting an air of uneasiness, Roy was introduced as a veteran who would help expand BJPs presence in the state of West Bengal.
Roy and the BJP
Mukul Roy, also once known as the right-hand man of Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and the chief party strategist constrained his criticism to objective terms only. He expressed his sentiment against the lack of democracy in Bengal and insisted that the BJP is a secular party and not a communal party.
With BJP in what is called as a Moral Duvidha, now stands at a crossroad. In one way, the CBI investigation against Mukul Roys involvement in the infamous Saradha and Narada scam clears off BJPs most prized weapon of corruption charges against Mamata Banerjee while Roys induction also provides for his brilliant networking skills along with tactical and informational grass-root knowledge.
A blessing in disguise for BJP?
Roys induction isnt exactly a happy development for BJP party leaders in Bengal because they see him as more of an adversary than a co-worker. With the Central leadership tired of the state units incapability to convert support for the BJP, the sudden move to push the current set of state leaders back to their feet by inducting Roy is what accounts for an angle of plausibility.
A senior BJP leader was quoted saying, No one has the political shrewdness and networking on the ground like Mukul Roy in West Bengal. His knowledge till the booth level is unique. He will be like Himanta Biswa Sarma in Assam. He has the ability to make the party stronger and bring electoral gains. The TMC also is facing heat in terms of how Mukul Roys strong influence might pit dissident TMC leaders against the main faction and will over time, test the credentials of Mamatas leadership and her acknowledged continual support within party ranks.
A step towards disunity in BJP?
A section of the BJP has been completely vocal with terming Roys induction into the party as nothing less than suicidal ahead of state elections and have not subsided to the possibility of the induction being a game-changer for the party. BJP State President Dilip Ghosh was quoted saying, We do not think Roy is a heavyweight leader. BJP got 11 crore votes in the last Lok Sabha election and TMC got two crores. Mukul Roy was the leader of that regional party that bagged two crore votes.
With internal dissidence not quelling off, it would be left to the Central Government to sort out differences and project unanimity amongst the state party ranks for better election results in the TMC-stronghold.
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