Manirul Islam expresses desire to resign from BJP

Kolkata: Manirul Islam, the former Trinamool Congress MLA who joined BJP last week, has expressed his desire to leave the party in view of the protests launched by BJP workers. Mukul Roy said Islam has expressed his desire to resign and the Central leadership of the party is considering his request.

Islam, a former Trinamool MLA from Labhpur in Birbhum, had joined BJP last week. He went to New Delhi and Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP national secretary in charge of Bengal, handed over the party flag to him and inducted him into the party. When the news of his joining spread, BJP supporters in Birbhum threatened to quit the party en masse. Kalosona Mondol, general secretary of BJP's Birbhum unit, alleged that the party should have consulted them before inducting Islam. He and his followers subsequently decided to quit the party and the situation went beyond the control of the state unit. Mondol alleged that Trinamool Congress supporters had attacked BJP workers under the leadership of Islam. He said no party worker would work under the new entrant and all of them would quit the party.

In view of the resistance from party workers in Birbhum, Islam expressed his willingness to resign. Meanwhile, BJP workers in other parts of the state like North 24-Parganas have refused to obey Arjun Singh in Barrackpore and Subhrangshu Roy in Kanchrapara, as both had led Trinamool workers who had beaten up BJP supporters in North 24-Parganas.