Mukul-Dilip rift in BJP comes to the fore

Kolkata: The difference between Mukul Roy and state BJP president and party MP Dilip Ghosh has once again come out in the open, with the party's state leadership supporting Ghosh in his stand that there should not be random induction of leaders and workers from Trinamool Congress to BJP.

"There should be a scanner and not anyone and everyone should be inducted in the party," said former state BJP president Rahul Sinha, adding that "under no circumstances should the party follow the line which Trinamool had followed while taking in supporters of CPI(M)." He was addressing a meeting held in connection with the membership drive of the party in Kolkata.

Echoing Sinha's voice, Ghosh said: "Because of the BJP wave people are showing keen interest to join the party. We should be extremely cautious in taking workers from other parties."

Opposing Sinha and Ghosh, Roy said: "The party will have to decide whether they want to topple the Trinamool Congress government by inducting its workers or launch a movement and wait for an indefinite period."

It may be mentioned that BJP's old supporters have been clashing with the party's new entrants in many areas. The leaders in Birbhum had threatened to leave the party after Trinamool Congress MLA Manirul Islam was taken into the party fold.

BJP's central leadership has kept the matter in abeyance. In various places in North Bengal, clashes between the old and new BJP supporters have become frequent. Even in Bhatpara, where Arjun Singh has become the party's MP, there is resentment among some old members who felt that the person who had once unleashed a reign of terror to oust BJP from North 24-Parganas, is now their leader and MP.