Saumitra Khan resigns from BJP's youth wing, within hours makes u-turn after Amit Shah's intervention

KOLKATA: In a dramatic turn of events, Saumitra Khan, BJP state Yuba Morcha president, who had tendered resignation from the party's youth wing's post criticising Suvendu Adhikari's arrogance withdrew the same within few hours following the intervention of Amit Shah, Union Home Minister.

Khan informed the same through social media. BJP leaders BL Santosh and Tejasvi Surya had also spoken to him. The withdrawal of resignation gave a major jolt to state BJP president Dilip Ghosh and Suvendu Adhikari, who had stated separately that Khan's resignation would not affect the party in any way.

Earlier in the day, the growing discord in the BJP's state unit became evident as party's Lok Sabha MP Saumitra Khan stepped down from the post of BJP's state youth wing chief and took to social media to launch a scathing attack on Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, asking the latter to stop misguiding the Central leadership.

After tendering resignation, Khan had said: "I am with BJP and will remain with BJP but I am fed up with the leaders. The Leader of Opposition (Suvendu) thinks too much of himself and the state president's power of understanding and assessing a situation is very poor. With these sorts of leaders, the future of BJP in Bengal is bleak."

He had also advised Adhikari to 'look into the mirror' to shun his disbelief that 'he (Adhikari) is the tallest leader of the party (BJP) in Bengal.'

"He (Adhikari) is projecting himself as if he is the only BJP leader in Bengal. He did the same thing when he was in Trinamool Congress. The way he is functioning, it will not bring any good to the party," Khan had said.

Khan further alleged that most of those who had joined BJP from Trinamool Congress on Suvendu's recommendation were "corrupt" and as a result they lost the election. Khan said he had been sidelined and not allowed to campaign before the election after he had pointed out that the BJP would not be able to do well because of faulty campaign policy of the Central leaders.

Meanwhile, Rajib Banerjee, former state Forest minister who had joined BJP before the polls, had also attacked Suvendu Adhikari on social media. "I will tell the Leader of Opposition to give up the habit of criticising the Chief Minister who has come back to power with 213 seats. Rather, he should concentrate on how the prices of fuel and cooking gas could be reduced to give relief to the people," Banerjee

stated.