BJP left red-faced after Sovan, Baisakhi skip roadshow

Kolkata: The organisational weakness of the state BJP once again came to light after Sovan Chatterjee and Baisakhi Banerjee refused to join the rally which was held to welcome them into the party.

As a damage control measure, local BJP leaders converted it into a protest rally titled "Ar nei darker."

The BJP had initially tried to host a bike rally to welcome Chatterjee who is the coordinator for the Kolkata zone and Banerjee his deputy. The rally was scheduled to start at 1 pm from Orphan Gunj Road off Mominpur to the party's state headquarters on Murali Dhan Sen Lane in Central Kolkata. There were heated exchanges between local BJP leaders and the police after the latter refused to allow bikes in the rally. Later, a procession was allowed from the venue to the BJP office at Hastings.

There was utter chaos after Sovan Chatterjee and Baisakhi Banerjee refused to join. Senior party leaders went to their residence on Southern Avenue but failed to convince them.

It was learnt that Banerjee refused to take part in a bike rally and also expressed her resentment over the appointment of Shanku Deb Panda in the same committee. Chatterjee, who refused to comment, finally decided to stay back.

After failing to bring them to join the rally, local BJP leaders agreed to the proposal of the police. No motorcycles were part of the rally that ended at Hastings.

Chatterjee's refusal to join the rally without assigning any cause has not gone down well with the party leaders. Preferring anonymity, a senior leader said: "Such whims are likely to tarnish the image of the party. It is not a place to settle personal scores. We are all working to out Trinamool Congress and Chatterjee's action is bound to hit the morale of the workers."

Meanwhile, it was learnt that BJP has removed the name plates of Chatterjee and Banerjee from the room allocated to them at the party's office in Muralidhar Sen Lane.